Effect of the Surface Finish on the Cyclic Behavior of Additively Manufactured AlSi10Mg

The design flexibility offered by the newest additive manufacturing technologies is attracting the attention of the automotive industry for the realization of safety-relevant components. However, the realization of complex geometries is characterized by the use of support structures which sustain surfaces with downskin angles lower than 45°. The subsequent removal of these punctual joints leaves the surface irregular and with a large amount of defects. In this work, the effect of surface imperfections on the cyclic stress–strain behavior of additively manufactured metals is evaluated. Small-scale specimens are manufactured by selective laser melting of AlSi10Mg powder. The specimens are manufactured using different build orientations, part of them are left as-built while the surface of other specimens has been polished. Incremental step tests are carried out in order to evaluate the cyclic stress-strain behavior of this material