Post processing of additively manufactured 316L stainless steel by multi-jet polishing method

Abstract

Post-process finishing of the additively manufactured (AMed) surfaces is still a critical issue, especially for the AMed surfaces with complex surface geometry, which largely limits the application of additive manufacturing. Hence, this paper presents a multi-jet polishing (MJP) method for post processing of AMed surfaces, utilizing a number of pressurized micro/nanometer abrasive water jets. A group of systematic polishing tests are conducted on 316L stainless steel (SS) prepared by powder bed fusion, to test the polishing performance, as well as the effect of key parameters. Moreover, surface integrity characterization and analysis are also carried out to make full evaluation of the MJP process on AMed 316L SS. The results indicate that MJP is effective for the post processing of AMed 316L SS, to obtain nanometric surface roughness on AMed surfaces, shedding the light on wide application of MJP for AMed complex surfaces.