Selective laser melting (SLM) is a promising additive manufacturing technique applied to various areas such as aerospace and biomedical industries. Because product characteristics can be controlled by SLM process parameters, several investigations have been conducted to clarify the relationship between process parameters and product characteristics. Melt pool, controlled by process parameters, is a suitable resource to determine the product profile accuracy and mechanical property. Two laser types, continuous wave (CW) and pulse width modulation (PWM), are typically used in SLM processes, and each has distinct advantages depending on the purpose of the process. While CW maintains its power constant, PWM presents a repeated pattern with a pulse width. Herein, the main differences in the process parameters between the two laser types and their effects on the melt pool formation during the SLM process are explained. The results demonstrate that CW and PWM are favorable for dense and fine structures, respectively.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.