Influence of Scanning Strategy on the Microstructure and the Mechanical Properties of AlSi10Mg Parts Fabricated via LPBF

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of AlSi10Mg is a widely used combination in the area of Additive Manufacturing (AM). Nonetheless, the influence of different scanning strategies on the properties of AlSi10Mg parts has not been considered extensively. In this study, a total of 15 different scanning strategies has been investigated, including various non-standard scan patterns, contour sequences, re-melting strategies, and layer rotation angles. The results reveal a significant difference between scan strategies regarding porosity, pore morphology and surface roughness. Tensile tests were used to map the microstructural and surface topography differences of the samples to the mechanical material behavior. The findings show that the measured density does not correlate with the expected tensile strength, the critical factor rather appears to be the pore morphology. Overall, the findings contribute to understanding the influence and usability of scanning strategies in LPBF manufacturing to reach optimized material properties in AM parts.