The effect of scanning strategies on the microstructure and mechanical properties of M2052 alloy manufactured by selective laser melting

To control the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties of Mn–Cu alloy additive manufacturing components, this work adopts various scanning strategies (rotations of 0°, 45°, 67°, and 90° between successive layers) to change the heat input distribution and heat dissipation. The results show that the scanning strategies can impact the porosity, cracks, grain size, and grain growth direction of Mn–Cu alloy additive manufacturing parts. By adjusting scanning strategies to change the heat flow direction the columnar-to-equiaxed transition can be achieved. The samples exhibit minimal cracks and pores (porosity of 0.0006 %). Using a scanning rotation angle of 67° during processing, the maximum tensile strength can reach 510 MPa with a 29 % elongation, attributed to effective grain refinement and a high dislocation density. This study demonstrates the feasibility of grain refinement and improved mechanical properties for the Mn–Cu alloys by changing the scanning strategies.