Investigation of the laser polishing influence on the parts built by SLS

Abstract

The use of laser systems in the industrial manufacture of complex geometry details is growing. This phenomenon takes place thanks to laser technologies, such as selective laser sintering (SLS), direct laser metal sintering (DLMS) and selective laser melting (SLM) that make possible, in addition to production of details with complex geometric shapes, also the fast, cheap and effective restoration of damaged elements of the details. However, despite the abundant advantages of the above-mentioned technologies, the details produced on the basis of these innovative methods have typical problems (large value of surface roughness, low wear resistance). In the paper, the influence of changes of the principal technological parameters of the laser polishing on the technological characteristics of the external surface of details built by SLS was studied. Changes of the laser’s technological parameters impact the amount of energy supplied onto the area under processing. Thus, the correct selection of the technological parameters of the laser beam positively affect the microstructure and topography of the top surface layer of the manufactured details, its chemical composition and physical properties as well as diffusive processes in the laser beam impact area.