This investigation reveals significant reductions in fatigue performance linked to surface roughness in additive manufacturing, suggesting design considerations are crucial.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) enables complex metal components for the space industry. However, as-built surface roughness affects material properties and is closely linked to design geometry. As computer-aided design tools struggle to model roughness accurately, this study explores Additive Manufacturing Design Artefacts (AMDAs) to investigate design-related roughness and its impact on fatigue performance. A space industry case study using AMDAs to replicate a 4 mm unsupported roof radius of a rocket engine component found fatigue performance reductions of 88% in horizontal builds and 65% in vertical builds compared to machined surfaces. Microstructural analysis confirmed the influence of roughness and grain structure on fatigue behaviour. Findings highlight how AMDAs provide design-specific insights and support engineers in investigating uncertainties.
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Obilanade et al. (2025) studied this question.
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