Process parameter optimization and mechanical properties for selective laser melting of AlSi10Mg alloy

The selective laser melting (SLM) technique is progressively changing the traditional manufacturing processes due to rapid molding and high forming accuracy. However, the density and microstructure induced by the process parameters have a significant influence on the material properties. In general, these process parameter windows are obtained experimentally based on the energy density requirements of the material. The combination of schemes is often huge in number, which is a time-consuming and laborious process. On the other hand, the fluctuations in molten pool temperature influence the printing quality of the part, resulting in differences in performance. The orthogonal experimental design method was used to determine the macroscopic properties of SLM-ed AlSi10Mg parts in this work. Combining the density and mechanical properties, the optimal process parameter window was deduced, and the influence of critical process parameters was investigated via range analysis. The optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were used to correlate the microstructure to macroscopic properties. The influence mechanism of layer thickness and volumetric energy density (VED) variation on the molten pool morphology was investigated by the finite element method. The knowledge of optimized process parameters is essential for SLM-ed parts with better mechanical properties, which could more accurately guide the structural design.