Mechanical Characterization of 316L Stainless Steel Structures Produced by Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing

Cold spray additive manufacturing uses tailored 3D build strategies to achieve the desired as-sprayed geometries. However, the effects of such strategies on deposit mechanical properties need to be better characterized in order to evaluate the potential of this technology for structural applications. In previous work, a layer-by-layer build was demonstrated whereby the part geometry was controlled by manipulating the spray angle. This presentation presents the impact of the approach on microstructure and ultimately on the uniformity of mechanical properties. Cold sprayed deposits with straight walled sides were produced using a commercial 316L stainless steel spherical powder. Characterization by metallography and tensile testing was used to evaluate variability in a layer-by-layer build between layers and between interior and edge locations.