Advanced mechanical optimization of 316L stainless steel through combined effects of printing angles and heat treatment in selective laser melting

This study used selective laser melting to create 316L stainless steel samples meeting ASTM E8 standards. Parameters included fixed laser power of 220 W, layer thickness of 0.03 mm, and scanning speed of 800 mm/s. Different printing angles (0–90°) were explored, followed by annealing at 850°C for 9 min. At an as-built 15° printing angle, optimal tensile strength (606 MPa) and elongation (26%) are achieved, while annealing decreases the tensile strength by 1.4% (615–606 MPa), and increases the elongation by 30% (20–26%). Additionally, the von Mises stress simulation using ANSYS will also be discussed. Graphical abstract Comparison of SLM parts printed at different angles with tensile stress and ANSYS stress-strain simulation