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This study was conducted to determine the indentation behavior of thin AlSi10Mg specimens manufactured using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) in the as-built condition along with two post-treatments, namely solution heat treatment and artificial aging. Four different thicknesses of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, and 2.5 mm of SLM specimens, with the different post-treatments, underwent standardized Rockwell hardness tests using a spherical indenter to determine their hardness values and assess the impression using a stereo microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The as-built specimens showed a trend of smaller indentation depths with increasing specimen thickness, and finally creased with 0.1547 mm depth at 2.5 mm. However, the post-treatments altered the behavior of the specimens to a certain degree, giving larger experimental indentation depths of 0.2204 mm, 0.1962 mm, and 0.1798 mm at 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.5 mm thickness, respectively, after solution heat treatment. Artificial aging showed a general decrease in indentation depth with increasing specimen thickness in contrast to solution treatment, and resulted in depths of 0.1888 mm and 0.1596 mm at 1.0 mm and 2.5 mm thickness. Furthermore, a material numerical model was made using stress–strain data on ANSYS Workbench to develop a predictive model for the indentation behavior of the specimens in contrast to experimentation. Under multi-linear isotropic hardening, the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation produced indentation geometry with an average accuracy of 95.4% for the artificial aging series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising method for additive manufacturing that makes it possible to produce intricate and personalized parts is selective laser melting (SLM). However, the mechanical properties of as-corroded SLM parts are still areas of concern. This research investigates the mechanical behavior of SLM parts that are exposed to a saline environment containing a 3.5% NaCl solution for varying lengths of time. The exposure times chosen for this study were 10 days, 20 days, and 30 days. The results reveal that the tensile strength of the parts is significantly affected by the duration of exposure. Additionally, the study also examined the influence of porosity on the corrosion behavior of the parts. The analysis included studying the mass loss of the parts over time, and a regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between exposure time and mass loss. In addition, the utilization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photo spectroscopy (XPS) techniques yielded valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms accountable for the observed corrosion and mechanical behavior. It was found that the presence of corrosion products (i.e., oxide layer) and pitting contributed to the degradation of the SLM parts in the saline environment. This research emphasizes the importance of considering part thickness in the design of SLM components for corrosive environments and provides insights for enhancing their performance and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]