Optimisation of Surface Quality, Process Conditions, and Characterisation of Additive Manufactured Components

Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely known as a method of manufacturing components and parts from powder or wire elements emanating from layer by layer processing. Surface quality is a critical characteristic of any product manufactured additively. Hence, this study presents a process of selective laser melting used to manufacture 10 mm thin-walled metal tubes in cubes from Ti6Al4V powders. The laser used was an IPG YLS 500 Ytterbium fibre laser operating at 1076 nm wavelength with a 50 μm fibre delivery system using different laser contour scanning parameters. The scanner used was an Intelliweld 30 FC V system. A custom-built selective laser-melting platform enclosed within an inert glovebox enclosure was used for the part building. A complementary surface engineering strategy was employed using the statistical model approach of response surface methodology (RSM) to analyse the surface finish quality of SLM fabricated Ti6Al4V alloy. The selected variables optimised were the power density and consolidation rates, with their interactive effect on the experimental responses (surface roughness and top edge quality). The results obtained indicated that higher consolidation rates and mid-range power densities had better surface finishes due to a more stable melt pool. The findings of this work will add to the understanding of the process design and optimisation of components manufactured additively in order to promote the integrity of the developed product.