Modeling of the scanning track formation in the selective laser melting process of 316L steel

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a promising additive manufacturing method that uses metal powder materials and heats them with a laser beam to the melting temperature in such a way that the metal powder layer completely melts. This paper presents a study of SLM process for austenitic 316L steel. The study focuses on single laser track formation and the effects of laser radiation parameters on melt pool size. The research aims to investigate the effects of various laser radiation parameters on the melt pool dimensions in a sample. These parameters include laser power, scanning speed, and laser focal spot diameter. A computational model, created using the COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software, is used to simulate the SLM process at different laser radiation parameters. Results show that the melt width, length and depth depend on the above laser parameters. This research contributes to our understanding of SLM processes and provides valuable insights into optimizing processing parameters for achieving the desired sample properties.