316L stainless steel is the material of choice for several critical applications in which a combination of mechanical strength and resistance to corrosion is required, as in the biomedical field. Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies can pave the way to new design solutions, but microstructure, defect types, and surface characteristics are substantially different in comparison to traditional processing routes, making the assessment of the long-term durability of AM materials and components a crucial aspect. In this paper a thorough review is presented of the relatively large body of recent literature devoted to investigations on fatigue of AM 316L, focusing on the comparison between different AM technologies and conventional processes and on the influence of processing and post-processing aspects in terms of fatigue strength and lifetime. Overall fatigue data are quite scattered, but the dependency of fatigue performances on surface finish, building orientation, and type of heat treatment can be clearly appreciated, as well as the influence of different printing processes. A critical discussion on the different testing approaches presented in the literature is also provided, highlighting the need for shared experimental test protocols and data presentation in order to better understand the complex correlations between fatigue behavior and processing parameters.
Keywords: 316L; additive manufacturing; fatigue; stainless steels.