Characterization of deposited layer fabricated by direct laser melting process

Deposition dimensions are important in the final applications of products made by direct laser melting (DLM). This investigation used a 200 W fiber laser to produce single-line beads from stainless steel 316L powder using a variety of different energy distributions. To investigate the deposited layer, deposition width, height, penetration depth, and side surface roughness were measured. In order to validate the effectiveness of the two main process parameters (laser power and scan rate), multi-layered beads were fabricated by the sequential layering of single lines. It was found that with an increase in linear energy density, the wetting angle was reduced, and the average roughness was also increased with linear energy density. An equation that predicts the deposition height for a multi-layered bead is proposed and experimentally validated in this study. For deposited layer applications, the material properties of the deposited layer, such as contact angle, interfacial contact resistance, and flexural strength are estimated. The rougher deposited layers show higher contact angle and interfacial contact resistance. The flexural strength of the DLM fabricated specimen is above 250 MPa.