In this research, the effects of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process parameters comprising laser power, scan speed, hatch space and scan pattern angle on the formation of porosity and subsequently density have been analysed. To improve the mechanical properties, post-processes (heat treatment) must be performed. Therefore, heat treatment was added to the design of experiment to analyse the effect of this process coupling with SLM process parameters on the value of density. A comprehensive design set with five levels for each parameter was selected so Taguchi L25 was used as the design of experiment. The significance of each parameter on obtained results was examined using statistical analysis (F-Test) and numerical model (interrogator analysis). The correlation between two process parameters was discussed by using 3D analytical and contour plots and the mechanisms behind these were discussed in depth. The contribution of this paper is a deep investigation of the relation of process parameters and heat treatment on density based on the Artificial Neural Network model. Results showed that better density is obtained with lower scan speed, laser power and scanning pattern angle. Meanwhile, for heat treatment and hatch space, the best density was obtained in their optimum range.

When reporting surface quality, the roughest surface is a reference for the measurements. In LPBF due to recoil pressure and scan movement, asymmetric surface is shaped, and surface roughness has different values in different measurement orientations. In this research, the influence of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process parameters on surface tension and roughness of Ti-6AI-4 V parts in three orientations are investigated. To improve the mechanical properties, heat treatment was carried out and added to the designed matrix to generate a comprehensive data set. Taguchi design of experiment was employed to print 25 samples with five process parameters and post-processing. The effect and interaction of the parameters on the formation of surface profile comprising tension, morphology and roughness in various directions have been analysed. The main contribution of this paper is developing a model to approximate the melting pool temperature and surface tension based on the process parameters. Other contributions are an analysis of process parameters to determine the formation and variation of surface tension and roughness and explain the governing mechanisms through rheological phenomena. Results showed that the main driving factors in the variation of surface tension and formation of the surface profile are thermophysical properties of the feedstock, rheology and the temperature of the melting pool. Also, the results showed that while the value of surface tension is the same for each test case, morphology and the value of roughness are different when analysing the surface in perpendicular, parallel and angled directions to laser movement.