Systematic Identification and Multi-Criteria Selection of an Optimal Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal for a High-Pressure Die-Casting Mould with Conformal Cooling Channels

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Integrating conformal cooling channels (CCCs) via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) into high-pressure die-casting (HPDC) moulds reduces cycle times and thermal defects. However, optimal performance requires a parent material that balances thermal conductivity, thermomechanical fatigue resistance, LPBF processability, acceptable cost, and sustainability. This paper presents an end-to-end, fully reproducible methodology that (i) systematically identifies the candidate materials and (ii) selects the optimum among them. A PRISMA 2020-compliant bibliometric review (22,312 records from the Web of Science and Scopus databases; 2021–2025) and dictionary-based text mining identified the ten most investigated LPBF metals. A two-stage multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework was then applied: a non-compensatory feasibility screen, followed by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighting (𝜆𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 6.117, 𝐶𝑅 = 0.019, 𝐶𝐼 = 0.023, 𝑅𝐼 = 1.24 for 𝑛 = 6) and TOPSIS ranking. The feasibility screen eliminated AlSi10Mg, NiTi, Scalmalloy, and pure tungsten, successfully preventing MCDM compensation artefacts that might artificially favor unprintable materials. Among feasible candidates, 18Ni300 maraging steel emerged as the optimal material (TOPSIS 𝐶∗ = 0.957), outperforming 17-4PH stainless steel and Inconel 718. Pareto dominance analysis confirmed 18Ni300’s rank-1 stability across diverse weighting scenarios and screening thresholds. The inclusion of conventional benchmark materials (H13, Dievar, and CuCrZr) did not alter the outcome, as each was independently rejected during the feasibility screening. Ultimately, 18Ni300 is recommended for HPDC conformal cooling applications.</p>