Rapid characterization of the fatigue limit of additive-manufactured maraging steels using infrared measurements

This paper deals with the fatigue performance of maraging steels manufactured by Powder Bed Fusion using a laser beam (L-PBF). The objective of the study was to develop a method for the rapid and reliable characterization of the produced material's fatigue limit using infrared (IR) thermography. Preliminary conventional fatigue tests were performed, revealing two distinct populations among the printed specimens depending on their locations on the building plate. Next, fatigue tests instrumented by IR camera were processed using heat source reconstruction to measure the mechanical dissipation due to fatigue damage. A statistical model was then proposed to identify the fatigue limit of the material. Finally, a practical application was performed to compare different manufacturing strategies using the same powder, opening perspectives for the rapid optimization of the printing process with respect to the fatigue performance of the parts produced.