Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Alloys

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing production process, also called 3D printing, in which functional, complex parts are produced by selectively melting patterns in consecutive layers of powder with a laser beam. The pattern the laser beam is following is controlled by software that calculates the pattern by slicing a 3D CAD model of the part to be constructed. Apart from SLM, also other additive manufacturing techniques such as EBM (Electron Beam Melting), FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling), WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing), LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping such as Laser Cladding) and binder jetting allow to construct complete parts layer upon layer. But since more experience of AM of shape memory alloys is collected by SLM, this paper will overview the potentials, limits and problems of producing NiTi parts by SLM.