Comparative study of mechanical properties of 316L steel samples made on the ALFA-150 machine in compliance with world analogues

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to study the microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel samples made by the SLM method. 316L stainless steel has been extensively studied for the state after fabrication by selective laser melting (SLM). This is due to the wide use of this material in various industries, as it demonstrates sufficient corrosion resistance and excellent plasticity. Thus, its application can be found in the biomedical, aerospace, automotive and marine fields. Some of the studies conducted have shown the ability of SLM to improve the mechanical properties of parts compared to traditional methods. Metallographic analysis, determination of mechanical properties, and chemical analysis were used. The object of the study was austenitic grade 316L stainless steel. The material for making the samples was a 316L alloy powder with a particle size of 45 + 15 μm. Experimental samples for tensile tests were built on the equipment of "Additive Laser Technologies of Ukraine" LLC (Alfa-150) using SLM technology in identical modes: laser power - 290 W, scanning speed - 1100 mm/s, distance between tracks – 0.11 mm, scanning strategy - checkerboard fields, scanning order - Zig-Zag, field size - 5 mm, rotation of the layer relative to the previous one - 67°. From the results of the analysis of mechanical properties, it was established that the samples made on the 3-D printer of Additive Laser Technologies of Ukraine LLC are not inferior in terms of quality to leading global companies, and in some characteristics even exceed them. It should be noted that the results of determining the characteristics of the experimental samples were compared with the properties of the samples manufactured according to the optimal process parameters on the equipment of different manufacturers, but do not include the influence of the thickness of the applied layer. Comprehensive studies of the mechanical properties of the samples made of 316L steel showed full compliance with the samples produced on the equipment presented on the world market for the production of special-purpose products.