Representative structure elements for the fatigue assessment of additively manufactured components

The fatigue life estimation of additively manufactured structures can be a very challenging task, because the component behaviour will be influenced by many parameters, such as surface roughness, imperfections and inhomogeneous properties. Furthermore, the loading conditions and the component geometry have to be taken into account. The problem of considering the singular influences adequately is intensified by their interactions, which invokes a simultaneous treatment of all relevant influencing factors. Without predefinition of the fatigue approach, properties to describe the cyclic aspects of component behaviour and the fatigue life are required. Even in the case of using small sized specimens, it is not possible to produce a defect-free material for studying the behaviour of sound material in order to derive cyclic material properties as a requirement for the local strain-based fatigue concept, or in order to derive a reference SN-curve and knock-down factors for load-based concepts.