Modeling the surface hardness of metal materials produced by 3D selective laser melting

The present study introduces a novel approach for pattern recognition to analyze the surface hardness of metal parts made by 3D selective laser melting (SLM). A printed part’s hardness is further influenced by post-processing, printing parameters, and post-print material handling. Layer by layer, material is deposited in 3D printing, sometimes referred to as additive manufacturing, to turn a digital design into a tangible product. More complex and adaptable designs are possible because 3D printing adds material rather than removes it, in contrast to conventional manufacturing techniques (such as machining or molding). The current work models the surface hardness of 3D selective laser melting of metal materials using genetic programming and network theory. To assess the hardness of 3D selective laser melting of metal materials, we introduce a novel pattern recognition technique. We apply fractal geometry analysis to determine the complexity of 3D selective laser melting of metal materials.