Fracture behavior of additively manufactured components: A review

Additive manufacturing (AM) has garnered increasing attention in academic and research projects, based on its unique characteristics and favorable capabilities. Although three-dimensional (3D) printing technology was initially used for rapid prototyping, currently it is being utilized in manufacturing of final products. Considering various applications of 3D-printed components, investigation of their fracture behavior is necessary. In the present study, we review fracture of polymeric and metallic 3D-printed components fabricated by different AM processes. More in deep, fracture behavior and mechanical properties of printed components under static and dynamic loading regimes are classified and reviewed. In this regard, we collected, discussed, and analyzed the reported data, to determine critical information about the influence of printing process and printing parameters on fracture behavior of 3D-printed parts. Polymeric and metallic parts are currently fabricated via different AM processes which have their own advantages and drawbacks. As internal defects can affect the mechanical performance of 3D-printed components, fractographic analysis of previous studies have been reviewed. The present overview, highlights the limitations, challenges and research gaps in this field.