SUMMARY
This study investigated how surface defects affect the fatigue performance of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) Ti6Al4V(ELI) test specimens in as-built surface roughness and heat-treated conditions. Tensile and fatigue specimens were built in three orthogonal directions for testing. Fatigue testing was carried out to determine the maximum stress at which a run-out number of 5 million cycles to failure could be achieved. Fractured specimens were analysed and compared for crack initiation and propagation characteristics using scanning electron microscopy. Conclusions were drawn on the possibility of producing Ti6Al4V(ELI) aircraft components through LPBF.