On the characterization of stainless steel 316L parts produced by selective laser melting

Metal additive manufacturing has employed several technologies and processes to advance from rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing. Additive manufacturing technologies compete with traditional manufacturing methods through their ability to produce complex structures and customized products. This paper aims to study the characteristics of stainless steel 316L (UNS S31603) parts produced using a selective laser melting machine. In the aerospace industry, turbine blades are typically manufactured from nickel-based alloys, titanium alloys, and stainless steels. Several geometries typical of airfoil blades were examined. The main goal is to investigate the material characteristics and surface features of the airfoil blades. The study included the geometrical errors, surface microstructures, material compositions, material phases, and residual stresses of the samples produced. The characteristics of the parts produced were investigated based on experimental observations. The paper also discusses the influence of the part dimension and orientation on the profile error, surface microstructure, and residual stress.