State-of-the-art of selective laser melting process: A comprehensive review

In recent times, smart manufacturing systems and materials are being utilized increasingly for producing parts with high strength-to-weight ratios. Consolidation of several assembly parts into a single and lightweight component plays a vital role in enhancing the mechanical properties of systems as well as effective energy conservation in several sectors, including aviation, maritime, and automotive industries. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has enabled the manufacturing of lightweight components by depositing materials only when needed and significantly reduce required assemblies. From the different AM technologies, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a prominent process used to fabricate near-net-shape and good surface quality parts using metal, ceramic, and polymer materials. The potential of realizing customized complex metallic structures with applications in the biomedical, transportation, and energy industries has piqued the interest of the scientific society in SLM. Although substantial progress has been achieved in comprehending the SLM process and fabricating different materials with this process, however, the industrial application is still restricted. Limitations related to printing of multi-materials, inadequate information on the efficient process parameters for different materials, and porosities on the printed parts are some of the main hurdles buried in this method that prevent it from manufacturing functional parts. Therefore, this review article provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art study on the SLM process regarding the types of materials used, the printing of reflective material and multi-materials, the effect of several process parameters on thermo-mechanical properties of parts, printing of lattice structure, a novel support structure technique, types of post-processing methods, and basic information on simulation software used for SLM processes. Moreover, the article describes future prospects and suggests research directions for the SLM process.