This paper is a continuation of the results presented at the 2012 Santa Fe Symposium®. The effect of the most representative variables of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology on the quality of final products is evaluated. The variables taken into account are laser power, scanning speed and thickness of the powder layer. The aim of this paper is to determine powder chemical-physical characteristics that ensure the best results with the SLM technique. Analysis of the influence of chemical composition and powder particle size distribution on porosity and roughness of the final items is specifically studied. This work describes the progress obtained with SLM technology in the last year, demonstrating the importance of optimizing process parameters. All of the results presented were obtained using precious metal alloys.

Author(s): Damiano Zito