Speaker
Description
Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is nowadays well established as an additive manufacturing (AM) technology within Aerospace and Medical industry to produce components out of high-performance materials such as Titanium, Titanium Aluminides, Ni-based Superalloys and even pure Copper.
In comparison to other AM technologies, the hot EBM process leads in general to a low level of remaining residual stresses and prevent parts from warpage.
The ability to use the electron beam for heating and melting is at the same time the enabler for processing non-weldable alloys. Furthermore, fast beam deflection and a controlled vacuum environment offers perfect conditions for an efficient AM processing of high-performance materials for application in extreme environments such as for tooling of metals.
GE Additive is continuously working on expanding the EBM material portfolio to serve o meet customer needs now, and in the future. In this context, material development is often performed in close collaboration together with material suppliers and research centers at universities.
Two recent examples for such material developments for EBM are:
• Highly alloyed cold work and HSS tool steel grades showing a carbon content C >1,0 wt.% for cutting and forming application.
• WC-Ni MMC for ultra-high wear resistance application within Oil and Gas industries.
AM processing of these materials are challenging, as high process temperatures and tight process control due to the crack-susceptibility are required. It is difficult to process using other powder bed AM technologies like L-PBF.
In this contribution we show how EBM enables a successful crack- and defect-free processing of these materials. The inherent high cooling rates during EBM processing led to very fine and homogenous microstructures which are comparable or even better to conventional processed ones.
Thus, corresponding mechanical and microstructural properties in different conditions will be presented and discussed to show EBM material capabilities.
| Speaker Country | Sweden |
|---|