Study of the Effect of EP, Blasting and Laser Treatments on the Surface Roughness of Ti6Al4V Alloy Fabricated by SLM at Different Build Angles

摘要

SLM has numerous advantages; however one of the main challenges is the resulting poor surface quality of the as-built components. The roughness of SLM parts not only depends on powder characteristics but also on process parameters such as the build angle, which is the responsible of the known stair-step effect. In this study Ti6Al4V samples were fabricated by SLM using different build angles. The roughness and morphology of the samples was analysed and it was found that they depend on the build angle, reaching a maximum at 10°. In order to reduce the roughness of these surfaces and to achieve a similar value regardless the build angle, EP, laser and blasting technologies, either alone or in combination, were applied. The roughness reduction and surface morphology obtained by the different surface treatments were compared as a function of the build angles. The best results were achieved combining blasting and EP processes, the so called E-blasting process.