Investigation of the influence of process parameters on productivity in the LPBF process for the material Inconel 718

The nickel-based alloy Inconel 718, which is used in aerospace technology, poses a great challenge to conventional machining due to its high strain hardening and toughness. Here, the laser powder bed fusion process (LPBF) offers an alternative with potential savings if sufficiently high productivity can be achieved. Based on the parameter study carried out, starting from the SLM Solutions standard parameters for the manufacturing of components, exposure parameters could be developed to realize manufacturing with 120 μm and 150 μm layer thickness, with almost the same geometric accuracy. For this purpose, the process parameters of laser power, focus diameter, hatch distance and scan speed were varied. The negative defocusing of the laser showed a positive effect on the density of the parts, realizing densities ≥ 99.94 %, with high dimensional stability and good mechanical properties. Considering the reduced manufacturing time of up to 61 %, a significant increase in productivity was achieved.