A Study on the Optimization of 3D Printing Additive Manufacturing by Direct Energy Deposition Method Using High Speed Steel Material

In this study, an additive manufacturing (AM) optimization process experiment was conducted using high-hardness metal powders (AISI M4) that can be used for mold repairs. The process variables applied in the experiment were the laser power, laser head moving speed, and powder feed rate, and the manufacture cross section was analyzed through one-pass manufacturing. The AM efficiency was evaluated for each process with respect to the layer height, dilution ratio, and global energy density. In the case of the layer height, the AM efficiency was good under the condition of the laser output of 500 W. In the case of the dilution ratio, the AM efficiency was good under the conditions of a powder feed rate of 6 g/min and laser head moving speed of 500 mm/min. Finally, the GED values of the process variables applied in this experiment were calculated, and the AM efficiency was excellent at values between 60 and 108 J/mm².