Micro- and macrostructural investigations of AlSiMg produced by laser beam melting

In Laser Beam Melting (LBM), alloys like AlSi10Mg are locally melted by an intense laser beam. Specifically Designed Materials can be realized by locally varying the exposure parameters and applying diverse exposure strategies. By this approach, different micro- and macrostructures can be obtained that lead to individual mechanical properties within one part. A well-established understanding of the correlation between manufacturing parameters, generated micro- and macrostructure and resulting material properties enables the creation of complex microstructural material compositions meaning specifically Designed Materials. The interdependency of manufacturing parameters on the micro- and macrostructure was studied for different exposure strategies in LBM processing of AlSi10Mg using a 1 kW laser source and building layers of 90 mm. The investigations focus on the analysis of data obtained by imaging techniques like light and scanning electron microscopy. In particular, melt pool boundaries and crystal grains are examined.