Abstract

VAN ZYL, I. et al. Validation of miniaturised tensile testing on DMLS TI6AL4V (ELI) specimens. S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. [online]. 2016, vol.27, n.3, pp.192-200. ISSN 2224-7890.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7166/27-3-1666.

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is a relatively new technology that is developing rapidly. Since DMLS material is created by melting/solidifying tracks and layers from powder, even building geometry can influence the mechanical properties. To certify a material, the testing specimens must be designed and manufactured according to the appropriate standards. Miniaturised tensile DMLS samples could be a good alternative for express quality control, and could reduce the cost of DMLS-specific testing. In this study, as-built and stress-relieved miniaturised tensile DMLS Ti6Al4V (ELI) specimens with different surface qualities were investigated. The fracture surfaces and mechanical properties of the mini-tensile specimens were analysed and compared with standard full-sized specimens also manufactured by DMLS. The obtained data showed the applicability of mini-tensile tests for the express analysis of DMLS objects if a correction factor is applied for the calculation of the load-bearing cross-section of the specimen.

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