A Review of the Effect of Post-Processing Heat Treatment on 3D Printed Metal Parts

• Oguntola J. ALAMU

  Author

• Peter O. ILORI

  Author

• Seun OYELAMI

  Author

• Wasiu O. ADEDEJI

  Author

• Tunji J. ADEPOJU

  Author

• Abideen T. OYEWO

  Author

This template guides authors on how to prepare camera-ready manuscripts. The font type to be used throughout is Garamond Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a new technology that has revolutionized the manufacturing of complex, lightweight, and customized metallic parts in various sectors, including aerospace, biomedical, automotive, energy and tooling. The major metallurgical problems, however, are caused by the layer-by-layer fabrication process, which is composed of repeated and fast thermal cycling: high residual stresses, different mechanical properties in different directions, non-uniform microstructures, porosity, and low fatigue strength. This review aims to bring together recent literature about the defects associated with these additive manufacturing processes and how they can be reduced by post-processing heat treatment to improve the performance of additively manufactured metal parts. The stress-relief annealing, solution treatment, precipitation hardening (aging) and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) are discussed with a focus on their influence on the microstructural changes and the mechanical properties. The review also addresses the individual responses of alloys within the major AM metallic systems, including stainless steel (316L), titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V), aluminum alloys (AlSi10Mg), nickel-based superalloys, maraging steels, magnesium alloys, and high-entropy alloys, and how various components of the alloy [A1.1], printing parameters, and treatment conditions influence the strength, ductility, fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability of these alloys. The potential of industrial applications in critical sectors is explored, as are ongoing issues, such as the lack of standardized treatment procedures, processing costs and the challenge of achieving a balance between strength and ductility. Lastly, the review pinpoints some research gaps and future directions, such as the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive process optimization, in-situ heat treatment, and hybrid manufacturing systems, which have potential for improving the reliability and scale-up of metal AM parts.

• 43_Alamu et al. (2026)

Copyright (c) 2026 Oguntola J. ALAMU, Peter O. ILORI, Seun OYELAMI, Wasiu O. ADEDEJI, Tunji J. ADEPOJU, Abideen T. OYEWO (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.