An investigation of thin feature generation in direct metal laser sintering systems

The fabrication of metal structures with thin features (<1mm) with additive manufacturing processes is of interest for various lightweight applications. This paper investigates the geometrical and microstructural characteristics of thin features fabricated using an EOS direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) system. Both 1D and 2D thin features were fabricated using various process themes, and subsequently analyzed for microstructure geometrical characteristics. It was found that the selection of process parameters has significant influence on both the geometrical accuracy and the microstructure of the thin features. The results can be used for the further development of process guidelines for lightweight structures such as cellular structures and support structures.