Optimization and Development of scanning strategies in PBF-LB/M - Influencing mechanical properties of additive manufactured parts

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) or Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals (PBF-LB/M) enables the production of complex geometries. However, not every production process is successful and the outcome of the material properties is sometimes uncertain. Conventional build strategies are often limited to parameter tuning and minor scan-path variations, leaving much of the process freedom unused. Thus the full potential of the method has not yet been fully exploited. In this work, the development of new scan strategies implemented in a custom Python-based slicer with full vector-level control are described and evaluated. Four approaches were investigated: Index Reorder, Time Reorder, Voronoi partitioning, and Pilger (back-step–inspired segmentation). The scan strategies were applied to demonstrator parts, cantilever specimens, and fatigue specimens, produced from 316L stainless steel and the alloy Specialis® on different PBF-LB/M machines. Thermographic snapshots revealed pronounced heat accumulation in linear hatching, whereas the Voronoi strategy achieved more homogeneous exposure. Cantilever tests showed that Index Reorder and Pilger reduced residual stresses compared to the reference (measured by defection). Fatigue testing demonstrated that all novel strategies substantially reduced life scatter relative to the linear baseline, with Voronoi showing a slight additional improvement. The results highlight that build strategies significantly influence thermal histories, residual stress, and fatigue performance, beyond what can be achieved by parameter optimization alone. While no strategy-specific parameter optimization was performed, the findings point toward the potential of tailored scan strategies to improve reliability and reproducibility in PBF-LB/M. Future work will focus on quantitative thermography, microstructural analysis, and refined Voronoi implementations for local property control.