Comparison of Vacuum Sintered and Selective Laser Melted Steel AISI 316L

The paper presents the results of the basic mechanical properties determined in the static tensile test, impact un-notched Charpy test and hardness of austenitic stainless steel type 316L produced by two techniques: classical pressing and sintering in a vacuum with rapid cooling and selective laser melting (SLM). In this work fracture surface of Charpy test, samples were studied. The results indicate that application of selective laser melting (SLM) makes it possible to double increase the strength properties of components manufactured from austenitic stainless steel type 316L compared to sintering in a vacuum. Resulted in mechanical properties strongly depend on porosity characteristic and the presence of superficial oxides in the case of sintered steel and the character of observed microstructural defects deriving from non-fully melted powder particles and the formation of voids between subsequently melted pool tracks during the SLM.