Effect of manufacturing parameters on the hardness of electron-beam melted maraging steel: An experimental study

Maraging steels are commonly used in industries that require high precision due to their excellent mechanical properties, including high strength, toughness, formability, weldability, dimensional accuracy, and formability. These steels are characterized by a typical martensitic structure obtained through aging heat treatments. The trend towards using high-strength steels in the industry has led to the need to optimize mass while maintaining good mechanical properties for specific applications. Electron beam melting (EBM) is an additive manufacturing technique that offers several advantages over traditional methods. It enables the production of complex geometry parts in small series and the creation of prototypes from CAD models. However, optimizing the parameters of the EBM process is a major challenge due to the complex physical phenomena involved, such as phase and material changes. This study investigates the impact of three EBM process parameters (layer thickness, electron beam power, and preheating temperature) on the hardness of maraging steel. The findings contribute to the improvement of the EBM process and the production of high-quality components. These components have applications in various sectors, including medical, automotive, and aerospace, highlighting the importance of this research for a wide range of advanced applications.