METAL PROCESSING
ArticleName
Investigation of surface roughness anisotropy of Inconel 939 parts produced by selective laser melting and subsequent sandblasting as a basis for planning laser polishing parameters
DOI
10.17580/tsm.2026.08.10
ArticleAuthors
Funtikov V. А., Seredina V. А., Мikhailova А. V., Gebesh А. V., Мelnikov D. М., Drobchenko N. Е.
ArticleAuthorsData

Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Moscow, Russia)

V. А. Funtikov, Director of the Research and Educational Center “Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre”, vladislav.funt@bmstu.ru
V. А. Seredina, Student of the Department of Laser Technology in Mechanical Engineering, seredina@bmstu.ru
А. V. Мikhailova, Student of the Department of Laser Technology in Mechanical Engineering, mikhailova@bmstu.ru
А. V. Gebesh*, Assistant of the Department of Laser Technology in Mechanical Engineering, gebesh@bmstu.ru
D. М. Мelnikov, Associate Professor of the Department of Laser Technology in Mechanical Engineering, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, melnikovd@bmstu.ru

 

JSC BIOGRAD (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
N. Е. Drobchenko, Head of Department of Additive Technologies2, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

 

*Corresponding author

Abstract

The anisotropy of surface roughness of parts made of the heat-resistant nickelbased alloy Inconel 939 produced by selective laser melting (SLM) and its effect on the efficiency of sandblasting and laser polishing were investigated. Surface roughness was evaluated in the longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal directions using two cutoff lengths, which made it possible to distinguish the contributions of the microrelief and macro-waviness. It was established that the initial surface roughness strongly depends on the orientation of the surface relative to the scanning tracks and the cutoff length. The maximum values of Ra, Rz, and Rq were observed at the intersection of inter-track and interlayer boundaries, whereas the minimum values were recorded along the tracks. It was shown that sandblasting reduces surface roughness across all investigated areas; however, the changes in ΔRa and ΔRz very significantly depending on the measurement direction and the initial surface topography, with the greatest effect observed on inclined and initially rougher surfaces. It was determined that the anisotropy of the initial surface roughness and its modification by sandblasting determine the minimum achievable Ra after laser polishing. This factor should be taken into account when selecting scanning strategies and combining finishing methods.

keywords
Selective laser melting, surface roughness, sandblasting, additive-manufactured part finishing, laser polishing
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