To ensure consistent quality of additively manufactured parts, it is advantageous to identify
alloys which can meet performance criteria while being robust to process variations. Toward such
an end, this work studied the effect of steel alloy composition on the process robustness of as-built
hardness in laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED). In-situ blending of ultra-high-strength lowalloy steel (UHSLA) and pure iron powders produced 10 alloys containing 10-100% UHSLA by
mass. Thin-wall samples were deposited, and the hardness sensitivity of each alloy was evaluated
with respect to laser power and interlayer delay time. The sensitivity peaked at 40-50% UHSLA,
corresponding to phase fluctuations between lath martensite and upper bainite depending on the
cooling rate. Lower (10-20%) or higher (70-100%) alloy contents transformed primarily to ferrite
or martensite, respectively, with auto-tempering of martensite at lower cooling rates. By avoiding
martensite/bainite fluctuations, the robustness was improved.Mechanical Engineerin
