Fabrication of Thin-Wall Structures with a Femtosecond Laser and Stainless Steel Powder

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the production of complex three-dimensional (3D) structures; however, the efficient and precise fabrication of thin profiles remains a challenge. This study explores the application of femtosecond-laser-based additive manufacturing techniques for the production of thin profiles with micron-scale features, reaching profile thicknesses below 100 µm. The study investigates the effects of scanning strategy, with optimized processing parameters, on the fabrication of thin profiles; wall thickness measurements were carried out using various technologies to analyse the influence of each on the resulting values. The quality of the walls was quantified by means of a visual characterization of the melted volumes, analysing the evolution of the measured thickness with regard to the processing conditions and in relation to the theoretical thicknesses of the walls.