Laser beam melting of heat-treatable 56NiCrMoV7 and wear-resistant FeCRV10 steel
Abstract
Although the parameters for Laser Beam Melting (LBM) of stainless steels as 316L or 17-4PH are well established, the processing of tool steels or wear resistant steels is still challenging due to the brittleness of the materials and the thermal stresses during the process. We report on LBM of the heat-treatable steel 56NiCrMoV7 and of the carbide forming steel FeCrV10. The goal was to produce crack-free, thin-walled structures that can be used as capsules for hot isostatic pressing. After detailed powder characterisation not only the laser parameters and scan strategy were varied, but also the FeCrV10 base powder was modified by mixing with different percentages of more ductile steel powders. The effects on processability and hardness are examined.
