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Nickel alloys are cost intensive materials and generally classified as difficult-to-cut material. However, machining of these materials is needed especially in case of alloy 36 (1.3912), which is commonly used in mould construction for the production of fibre-reinforced composites. With regard to repair, modification and manufacturing of such components, additive manufacturing offers significant economic advantages. Nevertheless, subsequent machining steps are needed to achieve the final component contour and defined surface conditions. Dependent on the material and machining process conditions, detrimental tensile residual stresses may be the result on the machined surface, having negative impact on the component performance and safety. In this investigation, machining experiments were carried out on wire arc additive manufactured components made of alloy 36, varying the cutting speed and the feed rate. In addition, the conventional milling process (CM) was compared with a modern, hybrid machining process, the ultrasonic-assisted milling (US). The cutting forces and the surface-near residual stresses were analysed using X-ray diffraction. A significant improvement of the machinability as well as the surface integrity by using the ultrasonic assistance was observed, especially at low cutting speeds. The CM induced mainly tensile residual stresses, the US mainly compressive residual stresses.
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) enables the efficient production of weight-optimized modern engineering structures. Further increases in efficiency can be achieved by using high-strength structural steels. Commercial welding consumables for WAAM are already available on the market. Lack of knowledge and guidelines regarding welding residual stress and component safety during production and operation leads to severely limited use for industry applications. The sensitive microstructure of high-strength steels carries a high risk of cold cracking; therefore, residual stresses play a crucial role. For this reason, the influences of the material, the WAAM process, and the design on the formation of residual stresses and the risk of cold cracking are being investigated. The material used has a yield strength of over 800 MPa. This strength is adjusted via solid solution strengthening and a martensitic phase transformation. The volume expansion associated with martensite formation has a significant influence on the residual stresses. The focus of the present investigation is on the additive welding parameters and component design on their influence on hardness and residual stresses, which are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). Reference specimens (hollow cuboids) are welded fully automated with a systematic variation of heat control and design. Welding parameters and AM geometry are correlated with the resulting microstructure, hardness, and residual stress state. Increased heat input leads to lower tensile residual stresses which causes unfavorable microstructure and mechanical properties. The component design affects heat dissipation conditions and the intensity of restraint during welding and has a significant influence on the residual stress.
Laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) of metallic alloys is a layer wise additive manufacturing process which provides significant scope for more efficient designs of components, benefiting performance and weight, leading to efficiency improvements for various sectors of industry. However, to benefit from these design freedoms, knowledge of the high produced induced residual stress and mechanical property anisotropy associated with the unique microstructures is critical. X-ray and neutron diffraction are considered the benchmark for non-destructive characterization of surface and bulk internal residual stress. The latter, characterized by the high penetration power in most engineering alloys, allows for the use of diffraction angle close to 90° enabling a near cubic sampling volume to be specified. However, the complex microstructures of columnar growth with inherent crystallographic texture typically produced during PBF-LB/M of metallics present significant challenges to the assumptions typically required for time efficient determination of residual stress. These challenges include the selection of an appropriate set of diffraction elastic constants and a representative strain-free reference for the material of interest. In this presentation advancements in the field of diffraction-based residual stress analysis of L-PBF Inconel 718 will be presented. The choice of an appropriate set of diffraction-elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure will be described.
Commercial high-strength fller metals for wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) are already available. However, widespread industrial use is currently limited due to a lack of quantitative knowledge and guidelines regarding welding stresses and component safety during manufacture and operation for WAAM structures. In a joint research project, the process- and material-related as well as design infuences associated with residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking are being investigated. For this purpose, reference specimens are welded fully automated with defned dimensions and systematic variation of heat control using a special, high-strength WAAM fller metal (yield strength>790 MPa). Heat control is varied by means of heat input (200–650 kJ/m) and interlayer temperature (100–300 °C). The ∆t8/5 cooling times correspond with the recommendations of fller metal producers (approx. 5–20 s). For this purpose, additional thermo-physical forming simulations using a dilatometer allowed the complex heat cycles to be reproduced and the resulting ultimate tensile strength of the weld metal to be determined. Welding parameters and AM geometry are correlated with the resulting microstructure, hardness, and residual stress state. High heat input leads to a lower tensile stress in the component and may cause unfavorable microstructure and mechanical properties. However, a sufciently low interlayer temperature is likely to be suitable for obtaining adequate properties at a reduced tensile stress level when welding with high heat input. The component design afects heat dissipation conditions and the intensity of restraint during welding and has a signifcant infuence on the residual stress. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation. The aim is to provide easily applicable processing recommendations and standard specifcations for an economical, appropriate, and crack-safe WAAM of high-strength steels.
High-strength fine-grained structural steels have great potential for modern weight optimized steel construc-tions. Efficient manufacturing and further weight savings are achievable due to Wire Arc Additive Manu-facturing (WAAM). First commercial high-strength welding consumables for WAAM are already available. However, the application is still severely limited due to a lack of knowledge and guidelines for the industry regarding welding residual stresses and component safety in manufacturing and operation. Residual stresses may be critical regarding the special microstructure of high-strength steels in context with the risk of cold cracking and component performance in service. Therefore, process- and material-related influences, as well as the design effects on residual stress formation and cold cracking, are being investi-gated in a research project (IGF 21162 BG) focusing a high-strength WAAM welding consumable with yield strength of over 800 MPa. Objectives are the establish-ment of special WAAM cold cracking tests and pro-cessing recommendations allowing economical, suita-ble, and crack-safe WAAM of high-strength steels. First studies on process-related influences showed transfor-mation residual stresses arising during cooling, which significantly influence stress evolution of the compo-nent during layer-wise build-up. This has not yet been investigated for WAAM of high-strength steels. Focus of this study is on the systematic investigation of interactions of the WAAM welding process and design with cooling time, hardness, and residual stresses.
Defined open hollow cuboids were welded and investi-gated under systematic variation (design of experi-ments, DoE) of the scale/dimensions (cf. Fig. 1a) and heat control (interlayer temperature Ti: 100–300 °C), heat input E: 200–650 kJ/m. The welding parameters were kept constant as possible to avoid any influence by the arc and the material transfer mode. The heat input adjusted primarily via the welding speed. The resulting different weald bead widths were considered by different build-up strategies (weld beads per layer) to ensure defined wall thicknesses. The hardness was determined on cross-sections taken from the manufac-tured hollow cuboids (Fig. 1c) and the analysis of the residual stress state was carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) at defined positions on the lateral wall (Fig. 1b).
The hardness is higher at the top compared to the lower weld beads, as shown in Fig. 1c exemplarily for central test parameters of the DoE = 425 kJ/mm, Ti = 200 °C). This may be attributed to the specific heat control of the top weld beads, i.e., quenching effects, which are not tempered by weld beads above as is the case for lower weld beads implying a higher hardness. It was observed that the hardness level decreases with increasing energy per unit length, while the in-terpass temperature has a rather low influence on the hardness
Residual stress analysis was performed on the lat-eral wall in the welding direction, cf. Fig. 1b, to deter-mine the influence of heat control and design. In the top area of the wall, maximum longitudinal residual stress-es of up to over 500 MPa exhibit, which corresponds to approx. 65% of the nominal yield strength of the mate-rial. The statistic evaluation of stress levels in welding direction of all test specimens show that adaption of heat input may reduce welding stresses up to 50%. In-terpass temperature has less pronounced effect on cool-ing times, microstructure, and on the residual level within parameter matrix. Overall, the results show a significant influence of heat input and component di-mensions on the residual stresses and minor effect of the interpass temperature. Hence, the properties of the specimens may be effectively adjusted via heat input. The working temperatures should be considered for global shrinkage behavior or restraints. Such investiga-tions of residual stress are necessary to further deter-mine local and global welding stresses regarding the consequences on the component safety during manu-facturing and service.
High-strength fine-grain structural steels have great potential for weight optimization of many modern engineering structures. Efficient manufacturing can be achieved here above all by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). First commercial high-strength welding consumables for WAAM are already available. However, due to a lack of knowledge and guidelines for the industry regarding welding residual stresses and component safety in manufacturing and operation, their application is still severely limited. Residual stresses play a crucial role here, as the sensitive microstructure of high-strength steels carries a high risk of cold cracking. For this reason, process- and material-related influences, as well as the design aspects on residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking, are being investigated in a recent project (FOSTA-P1380/IGF21162BG). This high strength of the WAAM welding consumables is adjusted via a martensitic phase transformation. The volume expansion associated with martensite formation has a significant influence on residual stress evolution. However, this has not yet been investigated in relation to the processing of high-strength steels by WAAM. The aim of this work is to establish a WAAM cold crack test and easy-to-apply processing recommendations that will allow economical, expedient, and crack-resistant fabrication of high-strength steels, especially for SME. This paper focuses on the analysis of the effects of welding heat control and design of WAAM components on cooling conditions, microstructure, mechanical-technological properties and residual stresses. For this purpose, geometrically defined specimens (hollow cuboids) are welded fully automatically with a special, high-strength WAAM solid wire (yield strength >790 MPa). The heat control and specimen dimensions are varied within a statistical experimental design. The weld heat control is adjusted in such a way that the t8/5 cooling times are ensured within the recommended processing range (approx. 5–20 s). For this purpose, additional thermo-physical forming simulations using a dilatometer allowed the complex heat cycles to be reproduced and the resulting ultimate tensile strength of the weld metal to be determined. The WAAM welding of complex geometries with varying welding heat control and geometric factors or wall thicknesses not only has an effect on the cooling conditions, cooling times and microstructure, but also has a significant influence on the structural restraint conditions during welding. Hence, the welding experiments show significant effects of specimen scaling and heat input on the welding residual stresses, which may be detrimental regarding component properties and crack-critical tensile residual stresses. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation
High-strength fine-grain structural steels have great potential for weight optimization of many modern engineering structures. Efficient manufacturing can be achieved here above all by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). First commercial high-strength welding consumables for WAAM are already available. However, due to a lack of knowledge and guidelines for the industry regarding welding residual stresses and component safety in manufacturing and operation, their application is still severely limited. Residual stresses play a crucial role here, as the sensitive microstructure of high-strength steels carries a high risk of cold cracking. For this reason, process- and material-related influences, as well as the design aspects on residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking, are being investigated in a recent project (FOSTA-P1380/IGF21162BG). This high strength of the WAAM welding consumables is adjusted via a martensitic phase transformation. The volume expansion associated with martensite formation has a significant influence on residual stress evolution. However, this has not yet been investigated in relation to the processing of high-strength steels by WAAM. The aim of this work is to establish a WAAM cold crack test and easy-to-apply processing recommendations that will allow economical, expedient, and crack-resistant fabrication of high-strength steels, especially for SME. This paper focuses on the analysis of the effects of welding heat control and design of WAAM components on cooling conditions, microstructure, mechanical-technological properties and residual stresses. For this purpose, geometrically defined specimens (hollow cuboids) are welded fully automatically with a special, high-strength WAAM solid wire (yield strength >790 MPa). The heat control and specimen dimensions are varied within a statistical experimental design. The weld heat control is adjusted in such a way that the t8/5 cooling times are ensured within the recommended processing range (approx. 5–20 s). For this purpose, additional thermo-physical forming simulations using a dilatometer allowed the complex heat cycles to be reproduced and the resulting ultimate tensile strength of the weld metal to be determined. The WAAM welding of complex geometries with varying welding heat control and geometric factors or wall thicknesses not only has an effect on the cooling conditions, cooling times and microstructure, but also has a significant influence on the structural restraint conditions during welding. Hence, the welding experiments show significant effects of specimen scaling and heat input on the welding residual stresses, which may be detrimental regarding component properties and crack-critical tensile residual stresses. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation.
Influence of the WAAM process on residual stresses in high-strength steels (IIW-Doc. II-A-408-2022)
(2022)
High-strength fine-grain structeural steels have great potential for weight optimization of many modern engineering structures. Efficient manufacturing can be achieved here above all by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). First commercial high-strength welding consumables for WAAM are already available. However, due to a lack of knowledge and guidelines for the industry regarding welding residual stresses and component safety in manufacturing and operation, their application is still severely limited. Residual stresses play a crucial role here, as the sensitive microstructure of high-strength steels carries a high risk of cold cracking. For this reason, process- and material-related influences, as well as the design aspects on residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking, are being investigated in a recent project (FOSTA-P1380/IGF21162BG). This high strength of the WAAM welding consumables is adjusted via a martensitic phase transformation. The volume expansion associated with martensite formation has a significant influence on residual stress evolution. However, this has not yet been investigated in relation to the processing of high-strength steels by WAAM. The aim of this work is to establish a WAAM cold crack test and easy-to-apply processing recommendations that will allow economical, expedient, and crack-resistant fabrication of high-strength steels, especially for SME. This paper focuses on the analysis of the effects of welding heat control and design of WAAM components on cooling conditions, microstructure, mechanical-technological properties and residual stresses. For this purpose, geometrically defined specimens (hollow cuboids) are welded fully automatically with a special, high-strength WAAM solid wire (yield strength >790 MPa). The heat control and specimen dimensions are varied within a statistical experimental design. The weld heat control is adjusted in such a way that the t8/5 cooling times are ensured within the recommended processing range (approx. 5–20 s). For this purpose, additional thermo-physical forming simulations using a dilatometer allowed the complex heat cycles to be reproduced and the resulting ultimate tensile strength of the weld metal to be determined. The WAAM welding of complex geometries with varying welding heat control and geometric factors or wall thicknesses not only has an effect on the cooling conditions, cooling times and microstructure, but also has a significant influence on the structural restraint conditions during welding. Hence, the welding experiments show significant effects of specimen scaling and heat input on the welding residual stresses, which may be detrimental regarding component properties and crack-critical tensile residual stresses. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation.
Commercial high-strength filler metals for wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) are already available. However, widespread industrial use is currently limited due to a lack of quantitative knowledge and guidelines regarding welding stresses and component safety during manufacture and operation for WAAM structures. In a joint research project (FOSTA-P1380/IGF21162BG), the process- and material-related as well as design influences associated with residual stress formation and the risk of cold cracking are being investigated. For this purpose, reference specimens are welded fully automated with defined dimensions and systematic variation of heat control using a special, high-strength WAAM filler metal (yield strength >790 MPa). Heat control is varied by means of heat input (200–650 kJ/m) and interlayer temperature (100–300 °C). The ∆t8/5 cooling times correspond with the recommendations of steel producers (approx. 5–20 s). Welding parameters and AM geometry are correlated with the resulting microstructure, hardness and residual stress state. High heat input leads to a lower tensile stress in the component and may cause unfavorable microstructure and mechanical properties. However, a sufficiently low interlayer temperature is likely to be suitable for obtaining adequate properties at a reduced tensile stress level when welding with high heat input. The component design affects heat dissipation conditions and the intensity of restraint during welding and has a significant influence on the residual stress. These complex interactions are analyzed within this investigation. The aim is to provide easily applicable processing recommendations and standard specifications for an economical, appropriate and crack-safe WAAM of high-strength steels.
High-strength steels have great potential for weight optimization due to reduced wall thicknesses in many modern steel constructions. Further advances in efficiency can be achieved through the application of additive manufacturing processes, such as Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). These technologies enable the sustainable and resource-efficient manufacturing of high-strength steels into near-net-shape, efficient structures. During the production of steel structures, unacceptable defects may occur in the weld area or in the WAAM component, e.g., due to unstable process conditions. The economical solution for most of the cases is local gouging or machining of the affected areas and repair welding. With respect to the limited ductility of high-strength steels, it is necessary to clarify the effects of machining steps on the multiaxial stress state and the high design-induced shrinkage restraint. In this context, the component-related investigations in two research projects are concerned with the residual stress evolution during welding and slot milling of welds and WAAM structures made of high-strength steels with yield strengths ≥790 MPa. In-situ digital image correlation (DIC) and ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyse the stresses and strains induced on specimens during and after milling. The systematic analyses revealed a significant interaction of the stiffness and relaxation of the specimens with the initial residual stresses induced by welding.
Influence of a 265 °C heat treatment on the residual stress state of a PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg alloy
(2022)
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) additive manufacturing (AM) induces
high magnitude residual stress (RS) in structures due to the extremely heterogeneous cooling and heating rates. As the RS can be deleterious to the fatigue resistance of engineering components, great efforts are focused on understanding their generation and evolution after post-process heat treatments. In this study, one of the few of its kind, the RS relaxation induced in an as-built PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg material by a low-temperature heat treatment (265 °C for 1 h) is studied by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Since the specimens are manufactured using a baseplate heated up to 200 °C, low RS are found in the as-built condition. After heat treatment a redistribution of the RS is observed, while their magnitude remains constant. It is proposed that the redistribution is induced by a repartition of stresses between the a-aluminium matrix and the silicon phase, as the morphology of the silicon phase is affected by the heat treatment. A considerable scatter is observed in the neutron diffraction RS profiles, which is principally correlated to the presence (or absence) of pockets of porosity developed at the borders of the chessboard pattern.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components. Due to the extremely heterogeneous cooling and heating, PBF-LB/M induces high magnitude residual stress (RS) and a fine Si microstructure. As the RS can be deleterious to the fatigue resistance of engineering components, great efforts are focused on understanding their evolution before and after post-process heat treatments (HT).
Design methodology of vessel produced by L PBF stainless steel using representative specimens
(2022)
This work presents the preliminary results of an ongoing project with a double objective: on the one hand, the characterisation of the mechanical properties against fatigue damage of an additively manufactured 316 stainless steel produced by laser powder bed-based (L-PBF) technology; on the other hand, the implementation of numerical simulation techniques able to predict the mechanical behaviour of the material in order to optimise and reduce the design costs of vessels used in the chemical sector. The current state of the work developed in this research framework allows showing the first batch of experimental results of crack propagation rate (FCGR) and high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests. The geometry of the vessels studied presents three clearly differentiated regions, either in terms of thickness (11-15 mm) or concerning the inclination of the walls to the direction of manufacturing (0º - 45º). The experimental campaign carried out so far allows identifying the differences in behaviour when comparing different extraction locations around the vessel. This is due to the variations in thermal cycles that the deposited material undergoes during the manufacturing process. Therefore, this causes variations in the microstructure which lead to changes in the response of the material. In this work, these differences are analysed qualitatively and quantitatively from the results of FCGR and HCF, thus allowing to locate the regions with the highest risk in terms of structural integrity against fatigue. This preliminary phase together with the numerical simulation of the additive manufacturing process are key to achieving a reliable description and modelling of the material. The latter will make it possible to address the priority aim of this project, involving the manufacture of independent samples whose properties are representative of the original material extracted from the reference vessels. It is, therefore, a comprehensive methodology for the design of additively manufactured components based on the localised fatigue mechanical properties of representative specimens.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) allow the fabrication of lightweight near net shape AlSi10Mg components attractive to the aerospace, automotive, biomedical and military industries. During the build-up process, high cooling rates occur. Thus, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit a Si-nanostructure in the as-built condition, which leads to superior mechanical properties compared to conventional cast materials. At the same time, such high thermal gradients generally involve a deleterious residual stress (RS) state that needs to be assessed during the design process, before placing a component in service. To this purpose post-process heat treatments are commonly performed to relieve detrimental RS. In this contribution two low-temperature stress-relief heat treatments (SRHT) are studied and compared with the as-built state: a SRHT at 265°C for 1 hour and a SRHT at 300°C for 2 hours. At these temperatures microstructural changes occur. In the as-built state, Si atoms are supersaturated in the α-aluminium matrix, which is enveloped by a eutectic Si-network. At 265°C the Si precipitation from the matrix to the pre-existing network is triggered. Thereafter, above 295°C the fragmentation and spheroidization of the Si branches takes place, presumably by Al–Si interdiffusion. After 2 hours the original eutectic network is completely replaced by uniformly distributed blocky particles. The effect of the heat and the microstructure modification on the RS state and the fatigue properties is investigated. Energy dispersive x-ray and neutron diffraction are combined to investigate the near-surface and bulk RS state of a L-PBF AlSi10Mg material. Differences in the endurance limit are evaluated experimentally by high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests and cyclic R-curve determination.
Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) are characterized by layer wise construction, which enable advancements of component design, with associated potential gains in performance and efficiency. However, high magnitude residual stresses (RS) are often a product of the rapid thermal cycles typical of the layerwise process. Therefore, a deep understanding of the formation of RS, the influence of process parameters on their magnitude and the impact on mechanical performance is crucial for widespread application. The experimental characterisation of these RS is essential for safety related engineering application and supports the development of reliable numerical models. Diffraction-based methods for RS analysis using neutrons and high energy X-rays enable non-destructive spatially resolved characterisation of both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components. This presentation will provide an overview of recent research by the BAM at large scale facilities for the characterization of residual stresses in LPBF metallic alloys as a function of process parameters. In addition, the challenges posed by the textured and hierarchical microstructures of LPBF materials on diffraction-based RS analysis in AM materials will be discussed. This will include the question of the d0 reference lattice spacing and the appropriate choice of the diffraction elastic constants (DECs) to calculate the level of RS in LPBF manufactured alloys.
Joining processes for components in hydrogen technologies: Current need and future importance
(2022)
This presentation gives an overview on the importance of joining processes for component fabrication in hydrogen technologies. For that reason, the current need and future research and developement activites are highlighted for the three technological fields: hydrogen storage, transport and use (in terms of the emerging field of additive manufacturing). Finally, some remarks are given for necessary changes in the standardization.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming increasingly important in engineering applications due to the possibility of producing components with a high geometrical complexity allowing for optimized forms with respect to the in-service functionality. Despite the promising potential, AM components are still far from being used in safety-relevant applications, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the feedstock-process-properties-performance relationship. This work aims at providing a full characterization of the fatigue behavior of the additively manufactured AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel and a direct comparison with the fatigue performance of the wrought steel. To this purpose, a set of specimens has been produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and subsequently heat treated at 900 °C for 1 hour for complete stress relief, whereas a second set of specimens has been machined out of hot-rolled plates. Low cycle fatigue (LCF) and high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests have been conducted for characterizing the fatigue behavior. The L-PBF material had a higher fatigue limit and better finite life performance compared to wrought material. Both, LCF and HCF-testing revealed an extensive cyclic softening.
Al-Si alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) techniques allow the fabrication of lightweight free-shape components that find space in aerospace, automotive, biomedical and military applications. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the building process, L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys exhibit an ultra-fine microstructure that leads to superior mechanical properties in the as-built condition compared to conventional cast Al-Si materials. Nevertheless, L-PBF processing induces high thermal gradients, leading to deleterious residual stress levels that must be considered to avoid part distortion and unpredicted failures. In order to relax detrimental residual stress and to increase the ductility, post-processing stress relief treatments are generally performed. In as-built condition the hypoeutectic AlSi10Mg microstructure consist of fine α-Al cells containing uniformly dispersed silicon nanoparticles, which are, in addition, surrounded by a eutectic Si network. Above 260°C the silicon interconnectivity starts to breakdown into spheroidized particles and to coarsen. At the same time, the heating residual stresses are relieved.
The objective of the contribution is to investigate, under different heat treatment conditions, the evolution of microstructure and residual stresses in view of optimizing the fatigue performance of the alloy. To this purpose various heat treatments in a range of temperatures between 265°C and 300°C for a duration between 15 minutes and 2 hours are performed. The microstructure modifications are analysed using a scanning electron microscope and the residual stress state is measured by laboratory X-ray diffraction.
In order to find a resource efficient approach for the fatigue lifetime prediction of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processed AlSi10Mg material, results of tensile and fatigue tests were compared. The specimens were manufactured with three different L-PBF machines and studied in different heat treatment conditions (as-built, annealed, T6 heat treated). The investigations showed that the high attainable tensile strength properties after the manufacturing process are not beneficial in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime. In contrast, the applied heat treatments, which lead typically to a decrease of ultimate tensile strength, improved dramatically the fatigue behavior. Additionally, a clear correlation between the elongation at fracture and HCF resistance has been found for individual heat treatment conditions. This empiric relationship provides an estimation of the fatigue resistance in the presence of material defects and can be implemented in part and process approvals.