Orientation solidification map through laser scan strategy Engineering for additively manufactured stainless steels

Using a three-dimensional multiphase finite element model combined with a multiscale characterization framework, this study investigates the solidification characteristics and grain orientations of 316L stainless steel (316LSS) during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) under different laser scanning strategies. Three common patterns—meander, stripe, and chessboard—were evaluated to capture the associated thermal profiles and melt pool (MP) dynamics. While conduction dominated across all strategies, the stripe and chessboard patterns showed greater susceptibility to keyhole and transition melting modes. Thermal simulations revealed variations in remelting depth: the stripe pattern exhibited the deepest remelting (∼150 μm), while the meander pattern showed the shallowest (∼50 μm), influencing grain refinement and morphology. Crystallographic orientation analysis indicated that interactions between keyhole, transition, and conductive MPs altered preferred growth directions. The meander strategy promoted [101] and [111] orientations, whereas the stripe and chessboard strategies showed stronger alignment toward [111]. By correlating thermal parameters—temperature gradient (G) and solidification rate (R)—with local crystallographic orientation and grain structure, a solidification orientation map was developed. This map demonstrates how scan strategy–driven MP interactions control microstructural features, providing a predictive tool for grain morphology and texture design in LPBF-316LSS components.