Surface finish in laser solid freeform fabrication of an AISI 303L stainless steel thin wall

► The effects of the main process parameters on the surface finish of a laser solid freeform fabricated thin wall of AISI 303L stainless steel are investigated. ► Deposition process is simulated in a 3D layer-by-layer fashion along with the experimental analysis. ► By increasing the scanning speed and simultaneously adjusting the laser power, the surface finish of the fabricated thin walls can be significantly improved. ► Increasing the scanning speed enhances the fineness of the dendrite and equiaxed grains structures across the deposited structures.