Multi-pass laser polishing of as-built DED surfaces

Laser polishing (LP) provides a fast and efficient way of re-melting part surfaces manufactured by additive manufacturing to alter both their geometric as well as physical properties. Depending on the laser parameters, remelted surfaces with different properties are achieved, with a majority exhibiting lower surface roughness compared to the original surface. In this study, a high-power continuous fiber laser is used to polish Inconel 718 surfaces produced by depositing a single layer of clads on a steel substrate by the powder-blown directed energy deposition (DED) process. Polishing was performed under different sets of parameters, namely, laser power, beam diameter, feed rate or feed, hatch space, and the number of polishing passes. Their effects on the surface roughness profiles and the microstructural properties of the sample cross-section were analyzed after one and two polishing passes. Optical microscopic images of the sample's cross-sections show the presence of supersaturated γ phase particles, γ′ + γ″ precipitates, Laves phases, and δ phase needles. The combined effect of high-temperature gradients and lower solidification rates in certain regions within the cross-section result in undercooled regions and pseudo heat treatment of unmelted regions close to the undercooled regions. These results are corroborated by indenting the various regions of the IN718 sample cross-section with a pyramidal diamond indenter in the form of a grid, resulting in different micro-hardness values due to different densities of precipitate and phase-transformed δ particles.