On the influence of in situ powder bed density variations on defect characteristics and fatigue performance of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4 V components

This study quantifies the in situ powder bed density variations and the statistical significance of the impact of these variations on the number of defects and fatigue performance for additive manufacturing Ti–6Al–4 V components. This study shows that the in situ powder bed density may vary up to 2–3% by varying the location on the build plate, recoater type/speed, and layer thickness when the standard gas-atomized Ti–6Al–4 V powders are used. These variations result in considerable changes in the number of lack of fusion defects. However, the impact of the change in the number of lack of fusion defects on the fatigue performance is statistically insignificant ( p -value > 0.05) despite showing changes in the obtained mean values.