Selective Laser Melting of aluminium alloy using a uniform beam profile

The effect of laser beam profile on the melt width and melt penetration of the molten material in Selective Laser Melting (SLM) using aluminium alloy 6061 (AA6061) was investigated. The laser beam profiles were observed to have significant effect on the melt widths and under the uniform laser beam profile, increasing scan speed and reducing hatch spacing also had significant effect on the melt width. Melt penetrations under the uniform and Gaussian laser beam were similar, suggesting the feasibility of incorporating two different laser beam profiles in a single build to reduce the fabrication time while maintaining the integrity and quality of the built parts.