Effect of part thickness on the microstructure and tensile properties of 316L parts produced by laser powder bed fusion

Additive manufacturing provides a unique possibility to manufacture parts with advanced design and thin-walled structures. To explore thin-wall capacity, laser powder bed fusion was employed fabricate 316 ​L samples different section thicknesses. A detailed microstructure characterization then carried out, tensile properties were assessed. It found that reducing the part thickness did not affect but reduce properties. Samples 1 ​mm exhibited lowest yield strength of 457 ​± ​11 ​MPa elongation fracture 49 ​20%, while improved when sample increased 3 ​mm. The thick generated comparable those standard dimensions. results emphasize must be considered assessing mechanical adjusted performing optimization simulations produced fusion.