Processing of AlSi9Cu3 alloy by selective laser melting

Additive manufacturing of Al-alloys allows the production of components with a complicated structured shape, geometry composed by lattice structures, internal cooling, etc. The portfolio of Al-alloys for metal additive manufacturing is still under development and is strongly limited, compared to the conventional technology. The alloy AlSi9Cu3 is used in many applications, but its processing details are still missing. The main aim of this paper is to describe the laser process parameters for AlSi9Cu3, processed by SLM technology and manufactured from two powders of different shapes and particle sizes. The tested process parameters were laser power, laser speed, and hatch distance in the range of 100-400 W, 200-1500 mm center dot s(-1)and 90-150 mu m. These were tested using a single-track and cube test. Microstructure, mechanical properties and the fatigue of SLM samples were analysed and compared with as-casted material.