An experimental investigation of selective laser process parameters on aluminium alloy (AlSi12)

Abstract

The chase for sustainable manufacturing that contributes to addressing climate change is of research interest across scientists and industrial sectors. The lightweight and high strength properties of aluminium alloys foster sustainable cost, energy consumption and environmental friendliness. This has made aluminium alloys such AlSi12 to be adopted in the transport industry. However, there are difficulties associated with the material when processing with subtractive manufacturing systems. To hardness the benefits of AlSi12, researchers advocate the use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies. One of the AM technology considered in this paper is the Selecting Laser Melting (SLM). SLM is a technique that presents advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of the process is the freedom of design complexity. The disadvantage is related to the process that influence the built part. The rapid cooling and heating motion of the interaction between the laser and the powder impact the structure of the printed part. Considering that the SLM process involves a range of process parameters that affect the printed part, this paper employs the Response Surface Methodology to vary the laser power from 50-300 W and the scanning speed from 500-2500 mm/s during the SLM of AlSi12. The result yielded the significant impact of low scanning speed on a printed specimen. Further studies entail conducting parametric optimisation and evaluation of the mechanical properties.