Experimental investigation on the strength and stiffness of 3D printed stainless steel S/S-316L parts

• Main Author: Lim, Chee Eng
• Other Authors: Seah Leong Keey
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Mechanical strength of materials; DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/77302
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The aim of this project is to study the material properties of 3D printed Stainless Steel 316L alloy such as its strength and stiffness to compare with the conventional manufactured Stainless Steel 316L. Material properties are important aspects in engineering which could cause failures. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that safety is not compromised with the benefits of additive manufacturing. In the preparation for this project, there are 10 specimens fabricated by conventional manufacturing which mainly uses milling process and 15 specimens fabricated by additive manufacturing which will be used to conduct a similar set of tests to compare their mechanical properties. The material for all specimens used is Stainless Steel 316L with dimensions that conform to ASTM E8/E8M -16a Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials. Various tests will be conducted with the results recorded, analyzed and experimental limitations will also be discussed in the report. Tensile tests will be used to determine the yield strength and tensile strength of the material. Fatigue tests will also be conducted to determine the fatigue life cycle. Rockwell hardness test can provide a comparison of hardness value between the material that are fabricated with two different manufacturing process. Lastly, Ultrasonic Test will be carried out to detect any significant defect within the specimen that could affect the results of other tests.