Improving surface integrity of additively manufactured GP1 stainless steel by roller burnishing

Additive manufacturing can rapidly fabricate the desired components by selectively melting and solidifying feedstock, rather than conventional subtractive machining. However, the difference between the two routes in terms of surface integrity of the final component is relevant. This paper presents a strategy to control the surface characteristics of additively manufactured stainless steel by roller burnishing. In particular, process parameters have been carefully selected to improve the surface integrity of the worked material. The quality of the surface has been analyzed in terms of roughness, hardness, microstructure and residual stresses. The overall product endurance under high cycle fatigue load has been evaluated.