Dear Colleagues,

Additive Manufacturing (AM), sometimes colloquially termed 3D-printing, comprises net-shape production technologies that build a solid object from the sequential superposition of layers representing the cross-sections obtained by virtually slicing the 3D model of the component. Nowadays, AM is becoming a key enabling technology for direct fabrication of functional or structural end-use products and is already revolutionizing, not only the way we produce, but also the design guidelines.

Since 1990, several AM technologies have been developed to sinter metallic powders. They can be distinguished regarding the way in which the layers of material are deposited and consolidated. In powder bed fusion processes, the powder is spread to a controlled thickness over the build platform or the previously built layers. After powder consolidation, the build platform is lowered and a new layer is spread. The process repeats until the entire model is created. Different heat sources are used to sinter or fuse the powder. For instance, a laser or an electron beam is adopted in Selective Laser Melting (SLM)/Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)/Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) or Electron Beam Melting (EBM), respectively. In all cases, the heat input is intense and highly localized so that the process parameters must be carefully tuned, especially in terms of scan speed, pattern and energy density.

Typically, additively manufactured metallic components show characteristic cast structure, with high superficial roughness, porosity, heterogeneous microstructure, and residual stresses, which negatively affect the mechanical properties, especially the fatigue strength. Therefore, there is an increasing acknowledgement in the engineering community that special care must be taken to understand how AM affects the fatigue properties, the way they can be enhanced and how the design guidelines must be updated in view of this innovative fabrication route.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect papers aimed at investigating the fatigue damage of additively manufactured metallic material, with special emphasis on understanding and deploying physics of fatigue, advancing experimental and theoretical failure analysis, and structural design that accounts for scale, microstructural, and environmental effects.

Prof. Matteo Benedetti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Additive manufacturing
• Selective laser melting
• Electron beam melting
• Fatigue
• Crack growth
• Design
• Defects
• Residual stresses
• Fabrication process optimization.