Geometrical feature analysis of Co-Cr-Mo single tracks after selective laser melting processing

Purpose - Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the relationships between the processing parameters and the geometric form of the produced single tracks, in order to control dimensional quality in future experimentations. The quality of the deposited single track and layer is of prime importance in the selective laser melting (SLM) process, as it affects the product quality in terms of dimensional precision and product performance. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, a vertical milling machining center equipped with an Ytterbium-fiber laser was used in the SLM experimentation to form single cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) tracks. The different geometric features and the influence of the scanning parameters on these morphologic characteristics were studied statistically by means of ANOVA. Findings - Evidently, track height (h1) inaccuracy reduced in layer thicknesses between 100 and 200 mu m. The re-melt depth (h2) was determined by the energy parameters, with laser power of 325-350 W and scanning speed (SS) of 66.6-83.3 mm/s being the most favorable parameters to obtain the required anchoring. Moreover, a contact angle of 117 degrees was proposed as optimal, as it permitted an adequate overlapping region and a full densification, and, finally, an SS of 50 mm/s and a layer thickness of 250 were suggested for its development. Originality/value - The comprehension of the phenomena inherent to the process is related to the single track geometrical characteristics, which allow the definition of an optimal value for each factor for a further proposal of processing conditions that can finally derive a higher precision, wetting, density and mechanical properties.