Effect of scanning strategy on the mechanical properties of honeycombs fabricated by selective laser melting of 316 L stainless steel

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an advanced and widely adopted method in metal additive manufacturing. The scanning strategy serves as a crucial process parameter, significantly impacting the quality of the fabricated components, primarily due to the layer-by-layer bottom-up building nature of the process. This research investigates the influence of three different scanning strategies on the tensile mechanical characteristics of 316 L stainless steel produced via SLM. Additionally, it analyses the underlying mechanisms through which these scanning strategies exert their effects. Furthermore, different scanning strategies based on SLM are used to prepare the arc curved honeycomb structure, and the quasi-static compression response of the honeycomb is compared. The findings highlight that the strip scanning strategy with an interlayer rotation angle of 67°proves advantageous for enhancing both the tensile properties of SLM-produced 316 L stainless steel and the compressive strength of the honeycomb structures.