Fatigue Modeling for Laser-Fused Metal Components With Small Data: From Scattering to Reliability

Abstract Fatigue scattering caused by inherent geometrical defects in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) imposes a great challenge for fabricating reliable load-bearing components. However, the lack of sufficient fatigue data and the limitation of runout conditions rationalize the need to bridge the gap between limited data and fatigue reliability. This work has developed two models based on censored linear regression (CR) and censored Gaussian process regression (CGP), respectively, to predict fatigue life scattering bounds at a given confidence for both as-built and heat-treated SS 316L samples. Furthermore, fatigue life reliability is modeled under different stress amplitudes with a CGP-based reliability model.