The effects of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) parameters, such as power (200 to 350 W) and scan speeds (from 200 to 2000 mm/s), on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) AISI 4340 steel were examined. A wide range of volumetric energy density (VED) between 93 and 162 J/mm3 produced samples with relative densities greater than 99.8%. The optimal parameter set was identified with laser power = 200 W, scan speed = 600 mm/s, hatch spacing = 0.12 mm, and slice thickness = 0.03, corresponding to VED = 92.6 J/mm3. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a predominantly martensitic microstructure for all processing parameters examined, although X-ray diffraction revealed the minor presence of retained austenite within the as-fabricated 4340 steel. Using the optimized LPBF parameters, the as-fabricated 4340 steel exhibited a yield strength of 1317 MPa ± 16 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 1538 MPa ± 22 MPa, and 18.6 ± 1% strain at failure. These are similar to wrought 4340 steel quenched and tempered between 400 and 600 °C.
