Instrumented indentation tests for local temperature-dependent mechanical properties assessment of laser-based powder bed fusion of aluminium alloy
Stefano GUARINO, Gennaro Salvatore PONTICELLI, Alfio SCUDERI, Simone VENETTACCI, Vittorio VILLANI
Abstract. Laser-based powder bed fusion of metals has grown rapidly due to high product customization and streamlined processing, though limited data and reproducibility still hinder its industrial adoption. In this study, instrumented indentation tests were performed with the aim of evaluating local and global mechanical properties of laser-based powder bed fused aluminium alloy from room temperature up to 300°C, while simultaneously demonstrating the potential of the proposed procedure for their determination. Comparing the results to conventional die-casted samples, it emerges that at room temperature the yield strength of additively manufactured specimens is better than the traditional ones, at the expense of stiffness. Indentation tests show a local and temperature dependence of mechanical properties along the building direction, in favour of the bottom part for yield strength and of the upper part for rigidity, but which tends to homogenize with temperature.
Keywords
Powder Bed Fusion, Mechanical Testing, Aluminium Alloys
Published online 9/10/2025, 9 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Stefano GUARINO, Gennaro Salvatore PONTICELLI, Alfio SCUDERI, Simone VENETTACCI, Vittorio VILLANI, Instrumented indentation tests for local temperature-dependent mechanical properties assessment of laser-based powder bed fusion of aluminium alloy, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 57, pp 107-115, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903735-13
The article was published as article 13 of the book Italian Manufacturing Association Conference
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] Yadroitsev I, Du Plessis A, Yadroitsava I (2021) Basics of laser powder bed fusion. Fundamentals of Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals 15–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-824090-8.00024-X
[2] Kumar S (2014) Selective Laser Sintering/Melting. Comprehensive Materials Processing: Thirteen Volume Set 10:93–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-096532-1.01003-7
[3] Yasa E (2021) Selective laser melting: principles and surface quality. Addit Manuf 77–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818411-0.00017-3
[4] Venettacci S, Ponticelli GS, Guarino D, Guarino S (2022) Tribological properties of Laser Powder Bed Fused AlSi10Mg : Experimental study and statistical analysis. J Manuf Process 84:1103–1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2022.10.065
[5] Mehrpouya M, Vosooghnia A, Dehghanghadikolaei A, Fotovvati B (2021) The benefits of additive manufacturing for sustainable design and production. Sustainable Manufacturing 29–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818115-7.00009-2
[6] Leary M, Maconachie T, Sarker A, et al (2019) Mechanical and thermal characterisation of AlSi10Mg SLM block support structures. Mater Des 183:108138. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATDES.2019.108138
[7] Blakey-Milner B, Gradl P, Snedden G, et al (2021) Metal additive manufacturing in aerospace: A review. Mater Des 209:110008. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATDES.2021.110008
[8] Villani V, Ponticelli GS, Venettacci S, Guarino S (2024) Assessment of Local Mechanical Properties of Laser Powder Bed Fused Aluminium Alloy By Non-Destructive Testing Based on Fimec Indentation. Acta Polytech CTU Proc 48:52–55. https://doi.org/10.14311/APP.2024.48.0052
[9] Guarino D, Venettacci S, Villani V, et al (2024) Tribo-Technological Features of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process: Scratch and Wear Resistance of Alsi10Mg Aluminium Alloy. Acta Polytech CTU Proc 48:34–40. https://doi.org/10.14311/APP.2024.48.0034
[10] Du Plessis A (2021) Porosity in laser powder bed fusion. Fundamentals of Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals 155–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-824090-8.00007-X
[11] Michi RA, Plotkowski A, Shyam A, et al (2022) Towards high-temperature applications of aluminium alloys enabled by additive manufacturing. International Materials Reviews 67:298–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/09506608.2021.1951580/ASSET/IMAGES/LARGE/10.1080_09506608.2021.1951580-FIG5.JPEG
[12] Xiao X (2024) Sustainability in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies 572–585. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90386-8.00125-X
[13] Genna S, Trovalusci F, Tagliaferri V (2017) Indentation test to study the moisture absorption effect on CFRP composite. Compos B Eng 124:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPOSITESB.2017.05.053
[14] Di Siena M, Genna S, Moretti P, et al (2023) Study of the laser-material interaction for innovative hybrid structures: Thermo-mechanical characterization of polyethylene-based polymers. Polym Test 120:107947. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.POLYMERTESTING.2023.107947
[15] Ciambella L, Montanari R (2014) New Algorithm to Determine the Yield Stress from FIMEC Test. Materials Science Forum 783–786:2272–2277. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.783-786.2272
[16] Montanari R, Varone A (2021) Flat-Top Cylinder Indenter for Mechanical Characterization: A Report of Industrial Applications. Materials 14:. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14071742
[17] Montanari R, Filacchioni G, Iacovone B, et al (2007) High temperature indentation tests on fusion reactor candidate materials. Journal of Nuclear Materials 367-370 A:648–652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.03.099
[18] Donato A, Gondi P, Montanari R, et al (1998) A remotely operated FIMEC apparatus for the mechanical characterization of neutron irradiated materials. Journal of Nuclear Materials 258–263:446–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(98)00428-0
[19] Villani V, Ponticelli GS, Venettacci S, Guarino S (2024) Effect of water absorption on the properties of selective laser-sintered PA12 specimens. Progress in Additive Manufacturing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-024-00826-3
[20] Aboulkhair NT, Simonelli M, Parry L, et al (2019) 3D printing of Aluminium alloys: Additive Manufacturing of Aluminium alloys using selective laser melting. Prog Mater Sci 106:100578. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PMATSCI.2019.100578
[21] Riccardi B, Montanari R (2004) Indentation of metals by a flat-ended cylindrical punch. Materials Science and Engineering: A 381:281–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2004.04.041
[22] Gondi P, Donato A, Montanari R, Sili A (1996) A miniaturized test method for the mechanical characterization of structural materials for fusion reactors. Journal of Nuclear Materials 233–237:1557–1560. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(96)00315-7
[23] Uzan NE, Shneck R, Yeheskel O, Frage N (2018) High-temperature mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg specimens fabricated by additive manufacturing using selective laser melting technologies (AM-SLM). Addit Manuf 24:257–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ADDMA.2018.09.033
[24] Michi RA, Plotkowski A, Shyam A, et al (2022) Towards high-temperature applications of aluminium alloys enabled by additive manufacturing. International Materials Reviews 67:298–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/09506608.2021.1951580
[25] Montgomery DC (1991) Design and Analysis of Experiments. John Wiley, Chichester
[26] Oliver WC, Pharr GM (2004) Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus by instrumented indentation: Advances in understanding and refinements to methodology. J Mater Res 19:3–20. https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2004.19.1.3/METRICS
[27] Sert E, Schuch E, Öchsner A, et al (2019) Tensile strength performance with determination of the Poisson‘s ratio of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg samples. Materwiss Werksttech 50:539–545. https://doi.org/10.1002/mawe.201800233
[28] Chmelko V, Šulko M, Škriniarová J, et al (2023) Strength and Cyclic Properties of Additive vs. Conventionally Produced Material AlSi10Mg. Materials 2023, Vol 16, Page 2598 16:2598. https://doi.org/10.3390/MA16072598
[29] Boschetto A, Quadrini F, Squeo EA (2011) Extracting local mechanical properties of steel bars by means of instrumented flat indentation. Measurement 44:129–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MEASUREMENT.2010.09.038
[30] Barletta M, Puopolo M, Trovalusci F, Vesco S (2017) High-Density Polyethylene/SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ Photoluminescent Pigments: Material Design, Melt Processing, and Characterization. Polym Plast Technol Eng 56:400–410. https://doi.org/10.1080/03602559.2016.1227840
[31] Haselhuhn AS, Buhr MW, Wijnen B, et al (2016) Structure-property relationships of common aluminum weld alloys utilized as feedstock for GMAW-based 3-D metal printing. Materials Science and Engineering: A 673:511–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MSEA.2016.07.099
[32] Hart EW (1967) Theory of the tensile test. Acta Metallurgica 15:351–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6160(67)90211-8
[33] Cordero ZC, Knight BE, Schuh CA (2016) Six decades of the Hall–Petch effect – a survey of grain-size strengthening studies on pure metals. International Materials Reviews 61:495–512
[34] Kempen K, Thijs L, Van Humbeeck J, Kruth JP (2012) Mechanical Properties of AlSi10Mg Produced by Selective Laser Melting. Phys Procedia 39:439–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHPRO.2012.10.059
[35] Mfusi BJ, Mathe NR, Tshabalala LC, Popoola PAI (2019) The Effect of Stress Relief on the Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of Additively Manufactured AlSi10Mg Parts. Metals 2019, Vol 9, Page 1216 9:1216. https://doi.org/10.3390/MET9111216
[36] Casamichele L, Quadrini F, Tagliaferri V (2007) Non-destructive evaluation of local mechanical properties of Al die cast large components by means of FIMEC indentation test. Measurement 40:892–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2006.11.012
[37] Zhu X, Ma Y, Wu H, et al (2024) In-situ tensile testing of fracture and strain in a selective laser melted AlSi10Mg alloy. Heliyon 10:e34137. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.HELIYON.2024.E34137
[38] Maculotti G, Genta G, Lorusso M, Galetto M (2019) Assessment of Heat Treatment Effect on AlSi10Mg by Selective Laser Melting through Indentation Testing. Key Eng Mater 813:171–177. https://doi.org/10.4028/WWW.SCIENTIFIC.NET/KEM.813.171
