The results of the $1.5M research contract “Development of Manufacturing, Heat Treatment, and Surface Finishing Guidelines to Yield Ready-to-Use IN- 718 Additive Manufacturing Components” are complete and AddUp achieves the #1 ranking among participants in a High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) study. The contract was initiated through the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and was led by REM Surface Engineering (REM).
Advancing Legacy Armament Systems with IN-718 Additive Manufacturing
Aimed to harness the potential of laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) and surface finishing technologies to produce IN-718 components for legacy armament systems, the study researched the impact of various heat treatment and printing parameter combinations in association with REM’s surface finishing technology. The goal was to learn what effect each combination would have on a component’s mechanical properties such as tensile strength and fatigue life.
This blind study had participation from four major metal additive manufacturing OEMs/service bureaus and included a variety of critical testing conditions to determine fatigue performance in AM components. These conditions included Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) versus non-HIP treatments, contour versus non-contour melting strategies, and angled printing at multiple angles including 0, 45 and 90 degrees. Among the anonymous OEM participants, AddUp identifies themselves as vendor #1 (V1) and outperforms competitors, especially when parts produced on the FormUp 350 were combined with REM’s surface finishing technology, the Extreme ISF® Process, enhancing material properties for corrosion and fatigue resistance.
The robust combination of AddUp’s PBF technology and REM’s surface finishing process underscores new opportunities for USAF components. AddUp’s fine powder and roller recoater system on the FormUp 350 has become known in the market for its best-in-class surface finish. Surface finish plays an important role in fatigue strength and REM’s novel surface finishing solution further strengthened these properties, reducing material degradation and maximizing performance and reliability.
“The results from this research program are of great value to the DOD and the additive industry overall,” stated Dr. Agustin Diaz, Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Manager at REM Surface Engineering. “The fatigue study shows that the combination of AddUp’s PBF-LB technology with REM’s surface finishing process generated the highest fatigue resistance, providing valuable data for potential aerospace and defense component applications.”
Fatigue Resistance: A Critical Component in IN-718 Performance
Fatigue resistance is essential in IN-718 applications, particularly in demanding aerospace and defense environments where structural integrity and reliability are crucial. The results from this study emphasize how fine-tuned AM parameters combined with advanced finishing technologies can reduce component downtime and cost, ensuring mission-critical operations proceed with enhanced performance.
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