AddUp achieves top position in High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) study

AddUp, a metal additive manufacturing technology developer, has ranked in the top position among participants in a High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) study. The $1.5M research contract, ‘Development of Manufacturing, Heat Treatment, and Surface Finishing Guidelines to Yield Ready-to-Use IN- 718 Additive Manufacturing Components’, was initiated through the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and was led by REM Surface Engineering (REM), a global provider of surface engineering solutions to NASA, the US DoD, and commercial industries.

Aimed at harnessing the potential of laser powder bed fusion and surface finishing technologies to produce IN-718 components for legacy armament systems, the study researched the impact of various heat treatment and printing parameter combinations in association with REM’s surface finishing technology. The goal was to learn what effect each combination would have on a component’s mechanical properties such as tensile strength and fatigue life.

This blind study had participation from four major metal additive manufacturing OEMs/service bureaus and included a variety of critical testing conditions to determine fatigue performance in AM components. These conditions included Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) versus non-HIP treatments, contour versus non-contour melting strategies, and angled printing at multiple angles including 0, 45, and 90 degrees. Among the anonymous OEM participants, AddUp has been identified as vendor #1 (V1) – having outperformed competitors, especially when parts produced on the FormUp 350 were combined with REM’s surface finishing technology, the Extreme ISF Process.

The robust combination of AddUp’s PBF technology and REM’s surface finishing process underscores new opportunities for USAF components. AddUp’s fine powder and roller recoater system on the FormUp 350 is known for its best-in-class surface finish. Surface finish plays an important role in fatigue strength and REM’s novel surface finishing solution further strengthened these properties – reducing material degradation and maximizing performance and reliability.

“The results from this research program are of great value to the DoD and the additive industry overall,” said Dr. Agustin Diaz, Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Manager at REM Surface Engineering. “The fatigue study shows that the combination of AddUp’s PBF-LB technology with REM’s surface finishing process generated the highest fatigue resistance, providing valuable data for potential aerospace and defense component applications.”