Additive manufacturing: a tool for engineering microstructures and mechanical behavior

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is a versatile metal additive manufacturing technique that not only enables the creation of intricate geometries but also allows for precise control over microstructural properties. By adjusting processing parameters, L-PBF facilitates the engineering of crystallographic textures and grain orientations, enhancing the mechanical performance of metallic parts. Austenitic steels exhibit Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) and Twinning Induced Plasticity (TWIP) effects under deformation, which are influenced by crystallographic texture. Therefore, this contribution will provide an overview of a project on the utilization of L-PBF to produce austenitic stainless steels with tailored crystallographic textures, optimized for specific load states to improve their mechanical behavior. The study requires identifying optimal microstructures and L-PBF processing routes using machine learning methods, that enhance these effects under complex stress states. The findings are leveraged to produce site-specific, texture-optimized components with superior mechanical responses compared to conventionally manufactured parts. Co-funded by the European Union (Horizon Europe, FLEETfor55, GA no. 101192661). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union (EU) or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.