Investigation on influence of selective laser melting parameters on mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

This research investigates the effects of process parameters of selective laser melting (SLM) on mechanical and metallurgical properties of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V fabricated parts. Key printing parameters including scan speed, laser power, and printing strategies, are analyzed for their impact on properties of printed parts using Taguchi L9 statistical approach. It is found that increasing laser power and scan speed decreases strength in both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the printed samples. The study highlights that the bi-directional printing strategy yields the highest strength in both directions, while the stripe strategy results in the lowest strength. Additionally, higher scanning speeds increase porosity, subsequently lowering the overall strength of the printed components. Microstructural analysis reveals the presence of acicular alpha martensite within the prior beta grains in most samples.