A review on the impact of volumetric energy density on morphological and mechanical behavior in laser powder bed fusion steel alloys

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a reliable advanced manufacturing technology for producing stainless steel (SS) parts. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an essential AM technique; it has a wide range of applications in healthcare, automobiles, aviation, and agriculture due to its ability to produce SS alloys with high corrosion resistance and strength. However, achieving minimal defects and comparable mechanical properties with traditional processes is challenging. Appropriate LPBF process parameters, including scanning speed, hatch spacing, laser power, and layer thickness, are selected to overcome these challenges. The cumulative influence of these parameters with this technique is a novel method. Meanwhile, the volumetric energy density (V_ED) is one of the essential factors to integrate with these four most important processing parameters. Hence, there is a significant need to review V_ED's effect on the morphology and properties of LPBF-manufactured (LPBFed) materials. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of ongoing studies on the impact of V_ED on LPBFed steel parts, highlighting significant discoveries, challenges, and research objectives. Furthermore, this article evaluates AM’s ability to handle various types of multi-materials, particularly steel-based components; in addition, this study also evaluates multiple techniques for optimizing process parameters. The result of this review concludes by presenting future research challenges and opportunities for LPBF-processed steel alloys. This paper aims to contribute to the progress of both research and practical use of LPBF-printed steels.