An effective parameter in the deposition of 17-4PH powder with LMD technique: scanning speed

Abstract

Laser metal deposition (LMD) is a novel additive manufacturing technology that has recently been utilized in the aerospace and automotive sectors to improve performance and speed up the process by minimizing connecting operations (welding, screwing, etc.) in production. In this study, the effects of scanning speed parameter on the microstructure and microhardness of 17-4 PH stainless steel produced by LMD method were investigated. 17-4 PH and AISI 1050 materials were used as deposition and substrate, respectively. As one of the production parameters, the laser power (W), gas flow rate (L/min), and powder flow rate (rev/min) were kept constant while scanning speed varied between 10-15 mm/s. With the changing scanning speed, differences in microstructure and accordingly changes in microhardness were observed. The results showed that the effect of deposition and scanning speed on the substrate is important in the LMD production technique, and this effect significantly affects the mechanical and microstructural properties.