Numerical and experimental validation of a reliable crack localization system for 3D printed metallic components based on the effective Structural Health Monitoring (eSHM) methodology.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly known as 3D metallic printing, introduces the “imagination is the limit”-concept in the manufacture. 3D printing is a promising technology with maximum design freedom. Building layer by layer, the technique prints components with highly complex geometries from almost any digital model. This creates interesting opportunities in a wide range of applications. The use of light-weight components for aeronautical applications are being investigated nowadays, but intrinsic quality problems prevent the technology from fully infusing into the industry. Due to the additive manufacturing process, the fatigue behavior and residual stresses of the component are modified in a negative way. To overcome this hurdle, strategies
must be developed for the detection of manufacturing defects during the printing process itself On the other side, the automatic detection of part deformation, next to the detection and localization of cracks in the printed component can mitigate this risk. This proves the importance to dedicate substantial research efforts to the investigation of Structural Health Monitoring methodologies to localize cracks in the 3D printed parts of tomorrow. The aim of this research is to develop and validate a robust crack localization system by measuring pressure variations and visualizing the propagation of shock waves in capillary channels integrated in the printed metallic parts.