Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Virtual and Physical Prototyping
To cite this article: Evren Yasa , Jan Deckers , Jean-Pierre Kruth , Marleen Rombouts & Jan Luyten (2010)
Charpy impact testing of metallic selective laser melting parts, Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 5:2, 89-98, DOI:
10.1080/17452751003703894
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Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Vol. 5, No. 2, June 2010, 8998
Evren Yasa1*, Jan Deckers1, Jean-Pierre Kruth1, Marleen Rombouts2 and Jan Luyten2
1
Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 300B, Heverlee 3001, Belgium
2
VITO NV, Boeretang 200, Mol 2400, Belgium
to be produced and powder particles are completely melted. SLM is capable of producing
near full density parts with an almost infinite geometric freedom. However, the
mechanical properties obtained with SLM may differ from the ones of bulk material.
In this study, Charpy impact tests are applied on the samples produced by SLM from
different materials; Ti-6Al-4V, AISI 316L (X2CrNiMo18-14-3) and maraging steel 300
(X3CoMoTi18-9-5). The influence of the building axis as well as of various heat
treatments applied on the samples after SLM is investigated. The evolution of the
microstructures of the sample parts is also studied.
Figure 2. (a) Charpy impact test setup (ASM Handbook 1997); (b) produced specimens by SLM in three building axes.
92 E. Yasa et al.
height of fall gives the amount of energy absorption The experimental layout for all the batches produced is
involved in deforming and breaking the specimen given in Table 2, where the number of produced samples
(ASM Handbook 1997). A V-shaped notch is generally from each material and specimen design is shown. Three
used in the impact specimen in order to control the batches of specimens from two materials (Ti alloy and
fracture process by concentrating stress in the area of the maraging steel 300) were produced in order to investigate
minimum cross-section. In this experimental study, different factors that may influence the toughness of SLM
Charpy tests were done according to ASTM E23 standard parts. Only one batch was produced in AISI 316L. In the
(ASTM, E 23-96). The size of the standard specimen was first batch, two-part designs were used to study whether high
101055 mm, with a notch as defined in the roughness values encountered in SLM cause any notch-
same standard. effect influencing toughness results. Different part designs
In this study, the experimental procedure was the same used in the experiments are shown in Figure 3a. A part
for all specimens. First, the samples were made by SLM
processing (See Figure 2b) and then they were cut off the
base plate by electro-discharge machining (EDM). Due to
the process, loose powder that should stay un-molten
around the scanned contours sometimes melts and sticks
to the walls. In order to remove these loosely sticking
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Maraging
AISI 316 L Ti-6AI-4V Steel
BATCH 1
SPECIMEN
Standard specimen 3 3 3
DESIGN
Standard specimen 3 3
DESIGN
Standard specimen 6 6
DESIGN
Building axis x-axis x-axis Figure 3. (a) Three-part designs produced by SLM to be
Heat Treatment 2-types 2-types used in Charpy tests; (b) Orientation of a standard part
Sand Blasting Yes yes
Number of replicates 3 3
manufactured with the building axis coinciding with the
x-direction.
Virtual and Physical Prototyping 93
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3.1 First batch specimen designs follow the same trend for three materials.
The maraging steel 300 and AISI 316L stainless steel show
As given in Table 2, none of the specimens were heat treated more or less similar results, whereas Ti alloy has much less
after the first batch. In order to check the repeatability of toughness than steel for both designs.
the process, three replicates for each specimen design and The stainless steel specimens have a waved fracture
material were produced with a building direction parallel to surface. Figure 7 shows that the waviness is a result of
the x-axis of the specimen. aligned pores along which the fracture has occurred. Pores
The cross-section of the parts is shown in Figure 4. AISI containing incompletely molten particles are present on all
316L stainless steel part consists mainly of an austenitic fracture surfaces, as illustrated in Figure 8.
phase, as revealed by X-ray diffraction. The cellular micro- Fracture of the Ti-6Al-4V parts is mainly brittle as
structure looks similar to the structure obtained after casting indicated by the minor deformation of the cross-section
of austenitic stainless steel: delta ferrite in an austenitic at the position of fracture (see Figure 9). The maraging steel
matrix. The micro-Vickers hardness (for a load of 0.5 kg) is parts behave in a more ductile behavior as indicated by the
23595: The Ti-6Al-4V parts consist of large grains oriented higher deformation and presence of larger shear lips.
along the building direction. The elongated grains are the
result of epitaxial solidification and extend over multiple
layers. Inside the grains a needle-like martensitic phase, 3.2 Second batch
which is formed as a result of the rapid solidification, can be
As shown in Table 2, the second batch was performed to
distinguished instead of the two-phase hcpa and bccb
investigate the effect of the building axis on the Charpy
structure that would be present in equilibrium conditions.
test results for SLM parts. In order to determine the
The micro-Vickers hardness is 36995: The structure of the
influence for different notch making methods, all three
maraging steel parts is mainly a low carbon bcc lath
martensitic structure. The borders of the melt pools are
revealed after etching. The micro-Vickers hardness is 37695:
The density measurements and Charpy test results are
presented in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. The results shown
in all figures are given with a 95% level of confidence. The
theoretical densities for AISI 316L, Ti6Al4V and the
maraging steel 300 are taken as 8.0, 4.2 and 8.1 g/cm3,
respectively. Figure 5 depicts that all specimens have relative
densities of more than 98.5%.
The Charpy test results show that the specimens of the
same material with and without a notch absorb quite
different energy values before breakage. For all materials,
the specimens with a notch have less resistance to breakage
which means that the high roughness of the SLM process Figure 6. The Charpy test results for SLM produced parts
does not behave like stress-concentrating notches. Both for the first batch.
Virtual and Physical Prototyping 95
Figure 7. Cross-section of stainless steel AISI 316L perpendicular to the building direction after Charpy testing.
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specimen designs were produced. Only one specimen was seems to be the x-axis for the specimens without a notch. It
manufactured per each case. No heat treatment was can be concluded that in the case of a good connection
applied for Ti alloy, whereas solution annealing followed between successive layers without any pores, the building
by aging was applied to maraging steel 300 specimens axis does not play a significant role in the toughness results.
since it is a material which is always used with a heat As also observed from the macro pictures of the broken
treatment. surfaces, all specimens made along the x-, y- and z-axes
The results derived with the two materials exhibited have similar brittle fractures. The reason for the low
similar results to those obtained with the specimens toughness of the z-specimens made from the Ti alloy can
produced in the first batch when the same building axis be attributed to porosity caused by the accidental reduction
and same design geometries were considered. For the Ti of laser power (about 5%) during the build of the
alloy, although the specimens built along the y-axis showed z-specimens. The protection glass that is located between
a slightly higher resistance to breakage, the effect of the the process chamber and the lens became dirty as the
building axis seemed negligible, as seen in Figure 10. The build height increased, and this caused the undesired
same holds true for the maraging steel, the results of which reduction in the power leaving an extra porosity of 2% in
are given in Figure 11, where the weakest building direction the samples.
Figure 9. Top (left) and side (right) view of SLM parts after Charpy testing.
3.3 Third Batch Charpy energy after heat treatment at 5958C may be
attributed to the higher amount of less ductile a phase
The influence of various heat treatments on the toughness
present than after heat treatment at 7358C.
of the two materials was investigated in this batch. All
For the maraging steel, the applied two heat treatments
specimens with a standard design were produced along the
decreased the resistance to breakage significantly, as de-
x-axis with three replicates for each case.
picted in Figure 13. It can also be observed that the amount
For the Ti alloy, two different heat treatments were
of plastic deformation is significantly lower than without
applied. The first one was the full annealing conducted at
heat treatment. The first heat treatment was solution
7358C for 2 h in a BIP argon furnace. The second heat
annealing at 8158C for 1 h and cooling to room temperature,
treatment was stress relieving at 5958C for 3 h in an
followed by aging conducted at 4808C for 3 h. The second
argon atmosphere. The first heat treatment did not
was only aging at 4808C for 3 h. The results also show that
improve or worsen the toughness of this material, the
solution annealing is not necessary to homogenize the
hardness was slightly increased (36299): The second heat
microstructure after the SLM process since the results with
treatment decreased the toughness of the Ti alloy
and without solution annealing were almost the same. The
slightly and significantly increased the hardness to 38695
hardness increases to 57297 as a result of aging. The
(see Figure 12). During heat treatment the martensitic
hardening during aging has been attributed in the literature
structure transforms into a mixture of hexagonal close
packed a and body centered cubic b phases. The lower
Figure 10. The Charpy results of the Ti alloy in the second Figure 11. The Charpy results of the maraging steel 300 in
batch. the second batch.
Virtual and Physical Prototyping 97
treated (third batch). attributed to the presence of defects like pores, pick-up
of impurities like oxygen and nitrogen (especially for
to short-range ordering in the cobalt-bearing solid solution titanium alloys) and the presence of more brittle non-
and the precipitation of nickel-rich intermetallic compounds equilibrium phases.
in the lath martensitic structure (ASM Handbook 1991). Tests not presented in this paper revealed that the porosity
X-ray diffraction has revealed that after aging a fcc of SLM parts is of high importance since it might cause a
phase appears, which was not present without heat treat- significant reduction in toughness. Controlling the process in
ment. In the literature, it is reported that during aging of terms of density is hence most critical: a slight drop of density
18 Ni maraging steel, 300 austenite can precipitate and due to unexpected loss of laser energy (e.g., dirt on optics)
adversely affect the toughness of the material (ASM may substantially reduce the toughness (typically 20% for
Handbook 1991). less than 1% reduction in density measured with optical
microscopy picture analysis). Testing density should best be
done with different methods since Archimedes’ method may
overestimate the relative density if the pores still contain un-
4. Comparison of toughness of SLM parts and bulk material
molten powder particles. In terms of stainless steel, a slight
The toughness of bulk materials is higher than that of change of alloying element compositions may significantly
SLM parts. For bulk annealed stainless steels, the impact reduce the toughness due to undesired phases such as high
Charpy energy for V-notched parts is generally greater temperature delta ferrites in the austenite phase. Thus the
material composition should also be strictly determined to
ensure a good repeatability.
5. Conclusions
One of the important conclusions from the experiments
conducted in this study is the fact that the roughness of
SLM Conventional
SLM parts does not behave like stress-concentrating Kruth, J.-P., Vandenbroucke, B., Van Vaerenbergh, J. and Mercelis, P., 2005.
Benchmarking of different SLS/SLM processes as rapid manufacturing
notches. The parts without a notch showed significantly
techniques. In: International Conference Polymers and Moulds Innovations
higher impact energies compared to specimens with a
(PMI), 2023 April 2005, Gent, Belgium [CD ROM].
notch, either made during the SLM process or after SLM Miani, F., Kuljanic, E. and Sortino, M., 2001. Modelling the mechanical
by EDM. This also concludes that the method of properties of direct metal selectively laser sintered parts. In: Proceedings
production of the notch does not affect the toughness of Laser Assisted Net Shape Engineering 3, LANE, 2831 August 2001,
results. Additionally, the specimens made in the second Erlangen, Germany, 383390.
batch revealed that the building axis does not play an Osakada, K. and Shiomi, M., 2006. Flexible manufacturing of metallic
products by selective laser melting of powder. International Journal of
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Machine Tools and Manufacture, 46, 11881193.
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