Recent Advancements in Post Processing of Additively Manufactured Metals Using Laser Polishing

Abstract

The poor surface roughness associated with additively manufactured parts can influence the surface integrity and geometric tolerances of produced components. In response to this issue, laser polishing (LP) has emerged as a potential technique for improving the surface finish and producing parts with enhanced properties. Many studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of LP on parts produced using additive manufacturing. The results showed that applying such a unique treatment can significantly enhance the overall performance of the part. In LP processes, the surface of the part is re-melted by the laser, resulting in smaller peaks and shallower valleys, which enable the development of smoother surfaces with the help of gravity and surface tension. Precise selection of laser parameters is essential to achieve optimal enhancement in the surface finish, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the treated parts. This paper aims to compile state-of-the-art knowledge in LP of additively manufactured metals and presents the optimal process parameters experimentally and modeling using artificial machine learning. The effects of laser power, the number of laser re-melting passes, and scanning speed on the final surface roughness and mechanical properties are comprehensively discussed in this work.