AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE GROWTH OF SMALL CORNER FATIGUE CRACKS IN ALUMINIUM 6061-T651

Results of an experimental investigation of the fatigue growth of small corner cracks emanating from small flaws are presented. Growth-arrest behaviour was observed, and increases in crack length during growth periods were of the order of the transverse grain size. For the test material, the corner crack front intersects, on average, only three–six grains in the small crack regime monitored, so only a small number of constrained, interior grains is encountered. It is suggested that the presence of partially constrained surface grains may contribute to the 'anomalous' growth behaviour which has been observed by a number of investigators.
The crack growth histories of the test data presented exhibit considerable scatter. It is shown that a Student's t -test can be used to estimate confidence intervals in order to provide a measure of the observed scatter. The variation in confidence intervals in the transition from small to long fatigue crack growth is discussed.     

On Surface Losses in Direct Metal Laser Sintering Printed Millimeter and Submillimeter Waveguides

Different lengths of WR3 (220–330 GHz) and WR10 (75–110 GHz) waveguides are fabricated through direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). The losses in these waveguides are measured and modelled using the Huray surface roughness model. The losses in WR3 are around 0.3 dB/mm and in WR10 0.05 dB/mm. The Huray equation model is accounting relatively good for the attenuation in the WR10 waveguide but deviates more in the WR3 waveguide. The model is compared to finite element simulations of the losses assuming an approximate surface structure similar to the resulting one from the DMLS process.     

Fatigue growth of small corner cracks in aluminum 6061-T651

Results of an experimental investigation of the fatigue growth of small corner cracks emanating from small flaws are presented. A three-point bending state of loading was used and, by virtue of the orientation of the square cross-section of the specimen, the maximum tensile stress was developed at the middle of the gage section and on a corner edge. A growth-arrest behavior was observed and increases in crack length during growth periods were of the order of the transverse grain size, so it is inferred that grain boundaries act as barriers to continuing growth.