Metrological Investigation of a Selective Laser Melting Additive Manufacturing System: A Case Study

Despite all the improvements that have occurred in the last three decades, surface finish and the cost of production are among the main barriers preventing the widespread application of metallic Additive Manufacturing (AM) process in the industry. This paper presents a metrological performance investigation study for a Selective Laser Melting (SLM) system. In order to do so, an experimental procedure is performed to evaluate the technical performances of the process in terms of repeatability, geometric and dimensional capabilities, and the effects of part removal. The results of the investigation show that SLM appears to be a very repeatable process requiring particular attention during part removal, and it could be considered a suitable candidate for high technology applications.