Linking Powder Properties, Printing Parameters, Post-Processing Methods, and Fatigue Properties in Additive Manufacturing of AlSi10Mg

Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals can be broadly accomplished via two defined technologies: powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition. During AM fabrication, the melted feedstock material experiences fast thermal cycling due to the layer-by-layer deposition process resulting in microstructures and properties that are drastically different from the traditionally manufactured parts. For AM to become a viable process for fabricating critical components made of high-performance structural alloys, such as AlSi10Mg, a comprehensive understanding is required toward developing the process-structure-property relationships prevalent in AM. AlSi10Mg, with its good castability, strength, hardness, and dynamic properties, is typically used to fabricate structural components that are required to withstand high loads. This alloy has been consolidated predominantly by the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method and several critical mechanical properties, such as fatigue, have been reported to date. This article, first, summarizes the as-deposited and heat-treated microstructures of AlSi10Mg specimens fabricated by L-PBF. Then, the article discusses the linkages among the feedstock properties, printing parameters, specimen geometry, post-processing techniques, and fatigue properties. This discussion is followed by a section on the fatigue life prediction of AlSi10Mg specimens using computational modeling. Finally, the article identifies critical research gaps and pinpoints future research opportunities.