Additive manufacturing (AM) with metals is an industry that is rapidly growing. With the development of additive manufacturing, there are a variety of processes that could be used to form complex parts. Post processing treatments are used to improve the properties of additively manufactured parts, particularly through the reduction of porosity and anisotropy. It is imperative to understand effects of post processing treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AM steel parts to determine the best treatment to achieve properties comparable to wrought steel.
This project focuses on 17-4 PH stainless steel and the manufacturing methods studied are Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Binder Jet (BJ). Sets of wrought, SLM, and BJ samples are compared in three sets – as-fabricated, traditional heat treatment, and heat treatment + hot isostatic pressing.