Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Made Using Different Manufacturing Processes

This paper presents a comparison in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4Vcoupons build by five different Additive Manufacturing (AM) suppliers. Three different manufacturing processes and different equipment are compared. Specimens were built to address any possible impact of fabrication direction and position within a build for the different suppliers. All builds were stress relieved and received Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) to ensure optimal mechanical properties. Microstructure was evaluated using both X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Standard test methods were used to measure mechanical properties such as tensile strength, fatigue crack growth rates, fracture toughness and axial fatigue. Results are compared with conventionally machined samples from raw material forms (bar, plates, sheets).