Study of the influence of additive manufacturing applicable surface treatment methods on mechanical part properties for use in aerospace applications

Abstract The adequate assessment of the quality of parts produced by additive manufacturing is crucial for their application in the aviation industry. Therefore, parameters of the manufacturing process, which influence the part quality, have to be identified and quantified to reveal existing correlations. Besides, it is essential to gain an overall understanding of the influence of each step in the additive manufacturing chain, including also post-process treatments and inspection methods, on the data, which is used to develop a statement about the additively manufactured parts’ quality. The present study aims on forming such a comprehensive picture. For this purpose, 120 test specimens from AlSi10Mg were manufactured on an EOS M 290. Four different surface treatments (centrifugal blasting, barrel finishing, abrasive flow machining and turning & polishing) were applied to the specimens and compared to the as-built condition regarding the resulting material properties. The relative density, surface roughness, surface hardness, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, Young’s modulus and the fatigue properties were determined and analysed especially for correlations with the surface treatment and specimen positions in the build space. The surface roughness, fatigue properties and static tensile properties showed to be dependent on the applied surface treatment, while fewer correlations could be found regarding the surface hardness and relative part density. No clear indication was found relating one of the mentioned properties to certain areas in the build space.