Influence of building parameters on surface aspect and roughness in additive manufactured metal parts

Additive Manufacturing by means of laser irradiation of powder bed is receiving increasing interest in many industrial fields thanks to a number of benefits including the opportunity of producing complex, accurate components with optimized physical and mechanical features. Depending on the application, specific surface properties in terms of texture and roughness are required. Therefore, this paper is aimed to investigating the effects of the building parameters and the exposure strategies on the resulting surface aspect and roughness. Indeed, different patterns are expected on the exposed surface as a consequence of the values of laser operating power, scanning speed and hatch spacing. The results in terms of roughness and surface geometry are discussed with reference to current standards. Suggestions are provided to guide the reader in selecting the proper processing conditions based on the expected surface features.