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Microstructure simulation and experimental evaluation of the anisotropy of 316 L stainless steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

Germán Omar Barrionuevo (Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Jorge Andrés Ramos-Grez (Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Magdalena Walczak (Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Xavier Sánchez-Sánchez (Ciencias de la Energía y Mecánica, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, Sangolqui, Ecuador)
Carolina Guerra (Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Alexis Debut (Centro de Nanociencia y Nanotecnologia, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, Sangolqui, Ecuador)
Edison Haro (Ciencias de la Energía y Mecánica, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, Sangolqui, Ecuador)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 23 August 2022

Issue publication date: 2 March 2023

411

Abstract

Purpose

The effect of processing parameters on the microstructure of steel produced by laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a recognized opportunity for property design through microstructure control. Because the LPBF generates a textured microstructure associated with high anisotropy, it is of interest to determine the fabrication plane that would generate the desired property distribution within a component.

Design/methodology/approach

The microstructure of 316 L produced by LPBF was characterized experimentally (optical, scanning electron microscopy, glow discharge emission spectrometry and X-ray diffraction), and a finite element method was used to study the microstructure features of grain diameter, grain orientation and thermal parameters of cooling rate, thermal gradient and molten pool dimensions.

Findings

The computational tool of Ansys Additive was found efficient in reproducing the experimental effect of varying laser power, scanning speed and hatch spacing on the microstructure. In particular, the conditions for obtaining maximum densification and minimum fusion defects were consistent with the experiment, and the features of higher microhardness near the component’s surface and distribution of surface roughness were also reproduced.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is believed to be the first systematic attempt to use Ansys Additive to investigate the anisotropy of the 316 L SS produced by LPBF.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of projects ANID FONDEQUIP EQM #180081 and FONDECYT Regular #1201068 and SENESCYT, grant number ARSEQ-BEC-000329–2017.

Citation

Barrionuevo, G.O., Ramos-Grez, J.A., Walczak, M., Sánchez-Sánchez, X., Guerra, C., Debut, A. and Haro, E. (2023), "Microstructure simulation and experimental evaluation of the anisotropy of 316 L stainless steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 425-436. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-04-2022-0127

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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