Influence of layer thickness and post-processes on the quasi-static and fatigue behaviour of Ti-6Al-4V specimens with embedded structural health monitoring system produced by laser powder bed fusion

Additive manufacturing enables the integration of functionalities during the production process. The effective structural health monitoring (SHM) system relies on the integration of small capillaries inside the structure, of which the pressure is monitored during the operation of the component. The pressure monitoring system allows deriving the loading condition of the part and detects upcoming fatigue failures, thereby creating smart, self-sensing objects. Such technology is of immediate benefit to structurally loaded parts that otherwise require significant inspection and maintenance efforts. Especially those parts, however, have to meet stringent quality standards. The inclusion of such intrusive capillary network, along with the use of a novel manufacturing technique, imposes significant materials and component testing in order to substantiate the added value of such system to metal additively manufactured parts. The current work therefore presents quasi-static materials testing, coupon fatigue testing and component fatigue testing with an embedded SHM system. The (post-) processing conditions of the fabricated parts were varied in order to understand their impact on the mechanical behaviour while attempting to reduce the structural impact of the embedded channels of the effective SHM system.