Reduction of residual stress in porous Ti6Al4V by in situ double scanning during laser additive manufacturing

Selective laser melting (SLM) technology plays an important role in the preparation of porous titanium (Ti) implants with complex structures and precise sizes. Unfortunately, the processing characteristics of this technology, which include rapid melting and solidification, lead to products with high residual stress. Herein, an in situ method was developed to restrain the residual stress and improve the mechanical strength of porous Ti alloys during laser additive manufacturing. In brief, porous Ti6Al4V was prepared by an SLM three-dimensional (3D) printer equipped with a double laser system that could rescan each layer immediately after solidification of the molten powder, thus reducing the temperature gradient and avoiding rapid melting and cooling. Results indicated that double scanning can provide stronger bonding conditions for the honeycomb structure and improve the yield strength and elastic modulus of the alloy. Rescanning with an energy density of 75% resulted in 33.5%-38.0% reductions in residual stress. The porosities of double-scanned specimens were 2%-4% lower than those of single-scanned specimens, and the differences noted increased with increasing sheet thickness. The rescanning laser power should be reduced during the preparation of porous Ti with thick cell walls to ensure dimensional accuracy.

Automated summary

The in situ method developed to reduce residual stress and improve mechanical strength of porous Ti alloys during laser additive manufacturing involves double laser scanning immediately after solidification of the molten powder. Rescanning with reduced energy density can lead to significant reductions in residual stress and improved bonding conditions for the alloy. Adjusting the rescanning laser power is necessary to ensure dimensional accuracy when preparing porous Ti with thick cell walls.