The laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process is an additive manufacturing (AM) process of building parts that uses the high power of the laser to melt the fine powder bed and form a structure, as shown in figure 1 (a). As a result, L-PBF is a promising technique that has likely demonstrated great interest in producing a complex part with near-net-shape design in the area of high-performance applications [1-4]. However, the defects formed during the manufacturing process affect the mechanical properties of a component, as seen in Figure 1 (b). Therefore, track remelting is required to avoid defects and thus low process efficiency [4], as shown in Figure 1 (c). In this study, five different hatch distances of 20 µm, 50 µm, 80 µm, 110 µm, and 140 µm of 316 L stainless steel were studied. To understand the effect of different hatch distances on microstructure, including crystallographic orientation and hardness, EBSD and nanoindentation hardness techniques are used. In addition, the porosity formed is calculated and distinguished (different defects, such as lack of fusion, gas pores, and keyhole defects) using image analysis software MIPAR.(a)(b)(c) Figure 1:(a) Arrangement of the building of tracks and layers during the L-PBF process,(b) illustration of cavity formation, and (c) various times of remelting while building a new build track [4].