Macroscopic and Microstructural Features of Metal Thin-Wall Fabricated by Laser Material Deposition: A Review

Owing to the versatility without expanding the machine’s size, thin-wall has been widely used in high-value parts. The investigation of laser additive manufacturing (LAM), which has advantages such as high powder density, easy controllability, and excellent stability, on the fabrication of thin-wall has drawn much attention. In this paper, the research status of macroscopic and microstructural features of metal thin-wall fabricated by LAM has been reviewed. The deposition quality was mainly focused on the effect of process parameters and especially the matching of z-increment and single deposition height. Based on the grain size and growth of columnar, the characteristics of microstructures were analyzed. Considering the structural feature of thin-wall, the effect of grain size and phases on the hardness and distribution of hardness were discussed. The effect of grain size, phases and loading direction on the tensile properties were reviewed. The distribution and modification of thermal stress were presented.