Effect of Scanning Strategy on the Microstructure and Load-Bearing Characteristics of Additive Manufactured Parts

Abstract In this work, 316L steel is used to fabricate additive manufactured parts using three scanning strategies - continuous, alternate, and island. The scanning strategy is selected based on the grain orientation and compaction support provided to the material under stress. The load-bearing capacity is evaluated by measuring frictional and wear properties. The wear patch track is examined to establish the surface interface's physical mechanism, which is responsible for the smooth transition in response to the applied load. The grain orientation for the different strategies is compared using EBSD maps. Also, the effect of surface roughness on the sliding behavior of scanning strategies is evaluated. The island scanning strategy is considered better for load-bearing applications, considering the grain orientation and hardness of additive manufactured parts.