Mechanical Properties of INCONEL 718 Parts Manufactured by Shaped Metal Deposition (SMD)

INCONEL 718 parts have been manufactured by shaped metal deposition (SMD), an additive layer manufacturing technique applying wire-based tungsten inert gas welding. This technique is aimed toward mass customization of parts, omitting time- and scrap-intensive, subtractive fabrication routes. SMD results in dense, ??near net-shaped?? parts without pores, cracks, or fissures. The microstructure of the SMD parts exhibit large, columnar grains with a fine dendritic microstructure. The interdendritic boundaries are decorated by small Laves phase precipitates and by MC carbides. Tensile tests were performed with different strain rates (10^?4, 10^?3, and 2?×?10^?3?1/s), but no dependency on strength or strain at failure was observed. The ultimate tensile strength was 828?±?8?MPa, the true plastic strain at failure 28?±?2%, the micro Vickers hardness 266?±?21 HV200, and the dynamically measured Young??s module was 154?±?1?GPa.