On the effects of build orientation in powder-fed Additive Layer Manufacture of steel 316L

Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) is an umbrella term used to cover many types of manufacturing where material is used in an additive way to build up 3 dimensional parts. As ALM systems mature, more is expected of the functional parts produced using the technology, especially with respect to accuracy, reliability, repeatability and the mechanical performance. For widespread industrial acceptance, parts need to be produced to high tolerances and with well understood mechanical properties (Bartolo et al., 2008).