Residual stress measurement on 3-D printed blocks of Ti-6Al-4V using incremental hole drilling technique

3-D printing is envisaged to be a futuristic alternative for rapid and low-cost production of structural components. The major drawback in such fabrication processes is the occurrence of large magnitude of residual stresses (RS). RS are detrimental for the structural integrity of any component if it amplifies the service stresses beyond a limit. In this paper, RS measured using incremental hole drilling strain gauge technique on Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3-D printed prismatic blocks of Ti-6Al-4V has been reported in both non-heat treated and heat treated conditions. The results indicate that large tensile RS inherent in the non-heat treated blocks vanish after annealing. The extension of such mitigation plans to real-life structures and components must be planned so that the remaining service life is enhanced without any significant distortions and warpage.