In this study, the development of surface features of Inconel 718 samples fabricated by selective laser melting under different laser powers and scanning speeds has been studied and correlated with the powder melting behaviors through both experimental and modeling approaches. The interaction between laser beam and powder particles was studied by a three-dimensional model using the height function-lattice Boltzmann method. Different process parameters were introduced to perform the simulations, revealing the underlying physics of the surface morphology. Through the calculation of the surface forces, some new insights were given about the powder melting behaviors and the resultant surface features. It was found that the surface tension rather than recoil pressure pulled the melted powder into the molten pool during the SLM process. As for low energy input, the powder tended to fuse together with the neighboring particles before entering the molten pool, which was found to be the main cause of the formation of surface fluctuations and the subsequent surface pores. To some extent, the existence of recoil pressure was favorable for a relatively stable flow and a flat surface morphology. The simulation results of the top surface morphology were compared with experimental results, and they were in good agreement.
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