Selective Laser Melting Process Parameter Optimisation for Surface Roughness and Hardness of AlSi10Mg
摘要
Selective laser melting (SLM) process is also in demand due to its ability to use less material to build a part compared to traditional manufacturing and the powder used can also be reused which further adds in the process being considered as green for the environment. In the study, the effect of process parameters such as laser power, scan speed, and hatch spacing on surface roughness and Vickers hardness of SLM produced AlSi10Mg space-grade materials. To attain the optimum hardness and surface roughness in AlSi10Mg samples generated by selective laser melting (SLM), the appropriateness of the regression equations was evaluated, and the impact of the input factors on the results was investigated, using ANOVA. Main effects plots were then used to examine how these variables affected the responses. The optimum Vickers hardness of 111 HV was obtained at parameters LP of 400 W, SS of 1000 mm/s, and HS of 130 microns. Only scan speed significantly contributed to Vickers hardness of samples with significant negative correlation. This indicated that increased scan speed decreases the hardness. Multi-variable optimisation generated parameters of LP 320 W, SS 1000 m/s, and HS 130 microns resulted in a density of 2.6408 g/cm3 and Vickers hardness of 111 HV. These findings highlighted the significant influence of process parameter optimisation in improving the performance of SLM-fabricated components.