Effects of processing parameters on microstructure and mechanical property of selective laser melted Ti6Al4V

Selective laser melting, as a facile method, was successfully used in this paper to manufacture perfect Ti6Al4V parts. Based on a series of single tracks, the processing windows were firstly proposed, corresponding to different melting mechanisms. And selective laser melted Ti6Al4V parts using various parameters within the processing map were investigated in terms of microstructure, roughness, densification and microhardness. It was found that the microstructure, roughness, densification and microhardness of Ti6Al4V parts were a strong function of processing parameters. An excellent Ti6Al4V part with the high microhardness and the smooth surface can be manufactured by selective laser melting using preferable laser power 110 W and scanning speed 0.4 m/s, corresponding to continuous melting mechanism. The density is so high that it can be comparable to that of bulk Ti6Al4V alloy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.