Selective Laser Melting (SLM) of magnesium alloys is the technology undergoing dynamic development in many research centres. The results are promising and make it possible to manufacture defect-free material with better properties than those offered by the manufacturing technologies used to date. This review aims to evaluate present state as well as main challenges of using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) for processing magnesium alloys as an alternative way to conventional technologies to manufacture parts in the aerospace industry. This literature review is the first one to outline information concerning the potential to use magnesium alloys in the aerospace industry as well as to summarise the results of magnesium alloy processing using AM technologies, in particular L-PBF. The available literature was reviewed to gather information about: the use of magnesium alloys in the aerospace industry—the benefits and limitations of using magnesium and its alloys, examples of applications using new processing methods to manufacture aerospace parts, the benefits and potential of using L-PBF to process metallic materials, examples of the use of L-PBF to manufacture aerospace parts, and state-of-the-art research into L-PBF processing of magnesium and magnesium alloys.

Standard experimental research works are aimed at optimization of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) parameters in order to produce material with relative density over 99% and possibly the highest scanning speed. Typically, cuboidal specimens with arbitrarily selected dimensions are built. An optimum set of parameters, determined on such specimens, is used for building parts with variable cross-section areas. However, it gives no guarantee that the density of variable-section parts produced with so selected parameters will be as high as that of the specimens measured during the parameters optimization process. The goal of this work was to improve the process of SLM parameter selection according to the criterion of maximum relative density, based on the example of AISI H13 tool steel (1.2344). A selection method of scanning strategy ensuring relative density of parts over 99%, irrespective of their dimensions, was determined. The specimens were produced using several variants of support structures. It was found that proper selection of the support strategy prevents development of columnar pores.