Experimental studies of defect generation in selective laser melted Inconel 718 alloy

Abstract

Selective laser melting can produce the most complex geometry shape component directly from metal powder. But defect generation is the primary concern during the printing process, which can seriously affect the mechanical property and build the quality of the component. So it is essential to know the criteria and mechanism of defect formation in the selective laser melting process. In the present study Inconel, 718 powder was used for sample preparation, and melt pool dimensions were taken from microstructure images using Image J software. Then both analytical and experimental approach was used to understand the effect of laser energy density on the different type of defect such as porosity, lack of fusion, keyholing, balling. The result showed laser energy density has a significant effect on defect formation, and it also gave a deep insight to select the suitable process parameters for the manufacturing process.