Surface Properties and Tribological Behavior of Additively Manufactured Components: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Innovative additive manufacturing processes for resilient and sustainable production will become even more important in the upcoming years. Due to the targeted and flexible use of materials, additive manufacturing allows for conserving resources and lightweight design enabling energy-efficient systems. While additive manufacturing processes were used in the past several decades mainly for high-priced individualized components and prototypes, the focus is now increasingly shifting to near-net-shape series production and the production of spare parts, whereby surface properties and the tribological behavior of the manufactured parts is becoming more and more important. Therefore, the present review provides a comprehensive overview of research in tribology to date in the field of additively manufactured components. Basic research still remains the main focus of the analyzed 165 papers. However, due to the potential of additive manufacturing processes in the area of individualized components, a certain trend toward medical technology applications can be identified for the moment. Regarding materials, the focus of previous studies has been on metals, with stainless steel and titanium alloys being the most frequently investigated materials. On the processing side, powder bed processes are mainly used. Based on the present literature research, the expected future trends in the field of tribology of additively manufactured components can be identified. In addition to further basic research, these include, above all, aspects of process optimization, function integration, coating, and post-treatment of the surfaces.