| Abstract Scope |
Process anomalies and powder contamination in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) remain key barriers to qualification and reliable deployment in defense applications. This work introduces compact, geometry-informed rapid health monitoring artifacts that provide fast, in situ indicators of process stability, material performance, and failure risk. The first artifact quantifies ductility through residual-stress-driven cracking in an inverted L-shaped cantilever with a notched interface. Crack length correlates strongly with elongation in notched tensile tests for Inconel 718, enabling rapid assessment of material performance and sensitivity to powder moisture. The second artifact enables in situ detection of process instability through a mid-build fracture event governed by residual stress and material strength. The fracture layer provides a simple, scalable metric sensitive to spatial variation and laser degradation, supporting accelerated qualification and improved reliability in defense manufacturing. |