Determinants of the surface quality, density and dimensional correctness in selective laser melting of the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy

Abstract

Selective laser melting is widely used for custom-designed elements. Successful manufacturing depends on laser treatment parameters and material features. This research aimed to determine the effects of laser power, scan time and hatch distance on surface quality, relative density and dimensional precision for cuboids made of the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy. The influence of energy density, energy flux and pre-heating was seen to be decisive to different degrees for the quality of the final specimen. The results obtained were used to produce prosthetic crowns and bridges. The thermal stresses that appeared resulted in a deflection of the bridges and consequently in a change in design approach.