Towards part-scale process optimization and microstructure control through multi-track-based multi-dimensional laser powder bed fusion process maps

Printability maps are commonly used to evaluate Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) behavior based on single-track experiments at various combinations of power and speed, helping to identify an acceptable process parameter window. However, when these parameters are applied to parts, different outcomes can arise because heat buildup from overlapping tracks and geometrical features shifts the acceptable window. In this study, simulations are used to develop scan-strategy-aware, multi-dimensional process maps that account for process parameters, stripe width and hatch spacing, and pre-deposition temperature. Following calibration and validation with single-track simulations, multi-track simulations are used to predict melt-pool behavior and cooling rates under different scanning strategies. Unlike conventional power–speed process maps or part-scale thermal analysis, the proposed framework quantifies process-window shifts as a function of scan-strategy and thermal-history variables and converts them into rapid metamodel-based maps for process qualification and microstructure control. These predictions are supported by experimental validation, confirming the cooling-rate trends and the associated microstructural effects. Finally, it is demonstrated that these quantified shifts can be leveraged to adapt laser power and hatch spacing to achieve a desired microstructure. The findings highlight the importance of adopting multi-track, multi-dimensional process maps for scan-strategy-dependent LPBF process qualification and microstructure control.