This project examined how residual stresses—a persistent challenge in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)—can be mitigated through optimized build orientations and scan strategies. Using neutron and X-ray diffraction, the research mapped stress distributions in Inconel 718 components and showed how repeated heating and cooling cycles lead to tensile stresses at the surface and compressive stresses in the bulk.
By combining finite element modelling (FEM) with experimental neutron data, the study validated stress predictions and identified effective approaches such as remelting after every third layer and chess-pattern scanning, both of which significantly reduced residual stress magnitudes. Microstructural analysis revealed related variations in crystallographic texture depending on the scan path and remelting conditions.
Overall, the work clarified how processing parameters govern the formation of residual stresses in metal additive manufacturing and demonstrated how neutron diffraction, together with modelling and microstructural characterization, can be applied to monitor and control them—contributing to the development of more reliable and distortion-free 3D-printed metal components for industrial use.