Bound metal deposition of stainless steel 316L: Effect of process variables on microstructural and mechanical behaviors

The influence of printing variables on microstructural and mechanical behaviors on the 316 L stainless steel (316 L SS), produced via an additive manufacturing process, named as bound metal deposition (BMD), was investigated in this study. The printing parameters varied were infill density, diameter of the nozzle, and thickness of layers, which dictate the mechanical properties, surface roughness, and crack morphology of the samples. Based on the experimental investigation, it was found that the tensile properties were increased when the nozzle diameter and infill density were higher. The highest obtained ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was 402 +/- 17 MPa, where the sample was fabricated with the following parameters: 0.40 mm nozzle diameter, 25% infill density, and 0.10 mm layer. The influence of the nozzle diameter also impacted the surface roughness, where a worse surface finish was noticed for the larger nozzle diameter.