A Study on the Stair Stepping Effect in Direct Metal Laser Sintering of a Nickel-based Superalloy

Like other additive manufacturing processes, the stair stepping effect is the main reason of a low surface quality in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) due to the layered nature of the process. Furthermore, the processing variables such as build direction, layer thickness and process parameters may significantly alter the obtained surface quality as a result of this effect. This paper aims to predict the stair stepping effect on the surface quality for free form surfaces with validations on a demonstration part representative of a group of aero-engine components.