Selective laser melting (SLM) is a form of additive manufacturing technology that makes it possible to create complex parts directly from metal powders. This technology offers a good balance between investment costs, range of materials and part quality. In the work, in order to investigate the structural properties of SLM AlSi10Mg alloys, the microstructure, structural performance and tensile fracture morphology of the alloys are analysed. The sample study results indicate good prospects, and the application of SLM in terms of aeronautics is studied to verify the structural properties. The ambient vibration test results show that SLM AlSi10Mg alloys could have a better performance in structural analysis and vibration test than the conventional manufacturing part and the reasons are analysed. This paper is part of a thematic issue on Light Alloys.

AlSi10Mg alloy formed by selective laser melting (SLM) has been gradually applied in aerospace and other fields, and heat treatment can further improve the properties of AlSi10Mg alloy. Therefore, it is very particularly meaningful to explore the effects of heat treatment on microstructure and residual stress of SLM AlSi10Mg alloy. An approach is proposed to evaluate the stress, strain and microstructure changes during heat treatment. As a result, the heating temperature of 350°C and tempering temperature of 200°C are the optimal heat-treatment processes. Furthermore, by tensile fracture analysis, the tensile strength of the sample after heat treatment decreases by 40%, and the total elongation after fracture increases by 280%.