Current surface issues in additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM), the 30‐year‐old method, to make parts by stacking thin layers of a raw material‐like powder is still in evolution. Among the drawbacks of AM, surface quality is often reported, especially when the raw material is powder. The roughness, Ra, can vary between 10 and 20 µm, with a peak‐to‐valley distance which can reach 0.2 mm, depending on the AM technology. This has an impact on mechanical properties, especially on fatigue. One of the approaches to attain the surface requirements is dedicated post‐treatment. The present paper investigates the origin of AM roughness to highlight the need for suitable post‐treatment. Additive Manufacturing (AM), the thirty years‐old way to make parts by stacking thin layers of a raw material like powders is still in full evolution. Among the drawbacks of AM, surface quality is often reported, especially when the raw material is powder. One of the approaches to reach the surface requirements is a dedicated post treatment. The present paper investigates the origin of the AM roughness to highlight the need of suitable post treatments.