Benchmark Test Artifacts for Selective Laser Melting - A Critical Review

Background: Selective laser melting is a best-established additive manufacturing technology for high-quality metal part manufacturing. However, the technology is yet to be accepted widely, especially in critical applications, due to the absence of a thorough understanding of the technology although several benchmark test artifacts have been developed to characterize the performance of selective laser melting machines. Objective: The objective of this paper is to inspire new designs of benchmark test artifacts to better understand the selective laser melting process, and to promote the acceptance of the selective laser melting technology. Methods: The existing benchmark test artifacts for selective laser melting are analyzed comparatively, and the design guidelines are discussed. Results: The modular approach should still be adopted in designing new benchmark test artifacts in the future, and task-specific test artifacts may also need to be considered furtherly to validate machine performance for critical applications. The inclusion of the design model in the manufactured artifact, instead of the conformance to the design specifications, should be evaluated after the artifact is measured for the applications requiring high-dimensional accuracy and high surface quality. Conclusion: The benchmark test artifact for selective laser melting is still under development, and a breakthrough of the measuring technology for internal and/or inaccessible features will be beneficial for understanding the technology.