Stainless steel 316L based materials modified by the additions of iron-based wear-resistant alloys (Colferoloy@ 103 and 139) used for thermal spray coatings applications were fabricated by EBM. Process parameters were tailored to fabricate compact specimens of 1cm3 in an Arcam A2 (Arcam AB, Mölndal, Sweden) at Mid Sweden University. Microstructural features of the materials obtained were characterized by OM and SEM in polished and etched samples. Nanoindentation tests carried out at different penetration depths were performed on selected areas of the polished specimens to evaluate the materials micro/nano mechanical behavior and to establish correlations with the observed microstructure.
In this work, a highly alloyed cold work tool steel, Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra, was manufactured via the electron beam melting (EBM) technique. The corresponding material microstructure and carbide precipitation behavior as well as the microstructural changes after heat treatment were characterized, and key mechanical properties were investigated. In the as-built condition, the mi-crostructure consists of a discontinuous network of very fine primary Mo-and V-rich carbides dispersed in an auto-tempered martensite matrix together with ≈15% of retained austenite. Adjusted heat treatment procedures allowed optimizing the microstructure by the elimination of Mo-rich carbides and the precipitation of fine and different sized V-rich carbides, along with a decrease in the retained austenite content below 2%. Hardness response, compressive strength, and abrasive wear properties of the EBM-manufactured material are similar or superior to its as-HIP forged counterparts manufactured using traditional powder metallurgy route. In the material as built by EBM, an impact toughness of 16–17 J was achieved. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was applied in order to further increase ductility and to investigate its impact upon the microstructure and properties of the material. After HIPing with optimized protocols, the ductility increased over 20 J.
Electron-Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) is one of the most important metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. In EB-PBF, a focused electron beam is used to melt metal powders in a layer by layer approach. In this investigation two pre-alloyed steel-based powders, stainless steel 316L and V4E, a tool steel developed by Uddeholm, were used to manufacture functionally graded materials. In the proposed approach two powders are loaded into the feeding container, V4E powder on top of 316L one, preventing their mixing. Such type of feeding yields components with two distinct materials separated by a zone with gradual transition from 316L to V4E. Microstructure and local mechanical properties were evaluated in the manufactured samples. Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and EDX on the polished cross-sections show a gradual microstructural and compositional transition from characteristic 316L at the bottom of the specimens to the tool steel towards the top. Nanoindentation experiments confirmed a consequent gradient in hardness and elastic modulus, which gradually increase towards the top surface of the samples. The achieved results provide great possibilities to tailor the composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear resistance by combining different powders in the powder bed AM technology. Potential applications include the tooling industry, where hard and wear-resistant materials are demanded on the surface with tougher and more ductile materials in the core of the tool.
Most Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) methods for the Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals are based on the melting of powder of one specific metallic material; either of pure-elemental or pre-alloyed composition. Although the potential to build components from different materials in AM has recently gained a lot of attention, it is still not feasible in the current metal PBF systems. In the specific case of Electron beam- based PBF (PBF-EB), it is possible to precisely control the beam parameters in each site of the build area, which opens great possibilities for adaptive processes that allows melting powders of different nature in the same build. In this investigation, different steel-based and Ti6Al4V alloy powders are used to create metal-metal assemblies. By steering the fetching of two powders loaded in different hoppers it was possible to build different metal-metal assemblies. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the final materials were evaluated.
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is on its way to industrialization. One of the most promising techniques within this field, electron beam melting (EBM), is nowadays used mostly for the fabrication of high‐performance Ti‐based alloy components for the aerospace and medical industry. Among the industrial applications envisioned for the future of EBM, the fabrication of high carbon steels for the tooling industry is of great interest. In this context, the process windows for dense and crack‐free specimens for a highly alloyed (Cr–Mo–V) cold‐work steel powder are presented in this article. High‐solidification rates during EBM processing lead to very fine and homogeneous microstructures. The influence of process parameters on the resulting microstructure and the chemical composition is investigated. In addition, preliminary results show very promising mechanical properties regarding the as‐built and heat‐treated microstructure of the obtained material.
The final result during a biathlon race is a composition of skiing, shooting and in some cases penalty time or rounds. One of the most decisive parts of the competition is the shooting component. The shooting component itself can be subdivided into separate parts: Actions just before shooting, the shooting itself and actions after the shooting. In the case of a slow approach to the firing line partially caused by dismounting of ski poles, time loss is tactically accepted by some skiers – heart rate decreases and a mental focus can be obtained. A slow departure from the firing line and the subsequent loss of time is on the contrary absolutely not desirable. A part of the lost time after shooting is observed to be related to mounting the ski poles. Modern ski poles can be divided into three groups of strap systems: 1. Simple loop; 2. Strap with Velcro fastener; 3. Click-in (typically Leki).
The paper presents a case study aimed at finding how the ski pole strapping system influences time loss after shooting. The study was performed during the IBU Biathlon World Championship 2008 in Östersund, Sweden. Time measurements were made over a defined distance allowing the athletes to approach cruising speed after the last shot in a series. The measurements for each athlete have been normalized relative his/her racing performance. The results clearly indicate time differences between strap systems. In some cases the differences could mean achieving podium place or not.
In present paper we would like to share some experiences of building new education in Sports Technology at MidSweden University and the results of 10 years of successfully running it in Östersund. The Sports Technologyeducation at Mid Sweden University started at Campus Östersund in 2003 as a part of the curriculum of theEngineering Department. This specialization was initially at the three-year Bachelor level, and later it was extendedto an additional two-year Master level. Aiming at the quality of Sports Technology education, three keystones areunderlying its process, representing the solid knowledge base, capacity to be flexible in problem solving and the usean innovative approaches. The Department unites researches with a background in both natural sciences andengineering disciplines, having a wide experience of working with and within the industry, equally active in researchand teaching. The unique constellation of the profiles forming the Department include not only the SportsTech®group, being “the backbone”, but also the Ecology and Eco-technology, and Quality Technology groups bringing theexcellence and extra competence needed to assure the quality of the Sports Technology education. We were the firsthigher education institution in Sweden to give this kind of education program and now some other SwedishUniversities have followed us. Our success can be measured by a number of graduates taking good jobs in theindustry. We also enjoy a steady flow of new students coming from all parts of Sweden, and Sports Technologyeducation stays among the most desirable ones in the country.
Bone plates for the fixation of complex fractures in proximity to joints often have to be reshaped to follow the bone contour. Good adhesion of the screws in areas where the bone is osteoporotic is also a challenge. One possible solution to these issues is to tailor-make plates by creating a digital three-dimensional model of the fracture from a computed tomography (CT) scan, digitally reducing the fracture, designing a plate, and finally manufacturing it directly from the digital model with solid free-form fabrication (SFF) technology. This study designs a custom plate for a distal tibia fracture, and investigates and refines the procedure from the CT scan to the final implant, with the aim of making it usable in trauma orthopaedics. The bone plate is manufactured using electron beam melting (EBM) technology. The challenges of bone plate design using digitalization and SFF are discussed. The virtual models created by the engineer while digitally reducing the fracture and modeling the plate are valuable for the physician while planning the surgery. A combination of surgery planning and digital plate design improves the surgeon's preparations and ensures correspondence between the plan and the designed implant. The proposed procedure, with the approximate required time in brackets, includes the separation of bone in the DICOM file (60 min), the reduction of fracture (5-30 min), revision (30 min), modelling of the plate (30-120 min), confirmation (30 min), manufacturing with SFF (10 h), post-processing (60 min), and finally cleaning and sterilization (90 min). The whole procedure requires about three working days.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the use of the additive manufacturing (AM) method, electron beam melting (EBM), for manufacturing of customized hip stems. The aim is to investigate EBM's feasibility and commercial potential in comparison with conventional machining, and to map out advantages and drawbacks of using EBM in this application. One part of the study concerns the influence on the fatigue properties of the material, when using the raw surface directly from the EBM machine, in parts of the implant.Design/methodology/approach - The research is based on a case study of manufacturing a batch of seven individually adapted hip stems. The stems were manufactured both with conventional machining and with EBM technology and the methods were compared according to the costs of materials, time for file preparation and manufacturing. In order to enhance bone ingrowths in the medial part of the stem, the raw surface from EBM manufacturing is used in that area and initial fatigue studies were performed, to get indications on how this surface influences the fatigue properties.Findings - The cost reduction due to using EBM in this study was 35 per cent. Fatigue tests comparing milled test bars with raw surfaced bars indicate a reduction of the fatigue limit by using the coarse surface.Originality/value - The paper presents a detailed comparison of EBM and conventional machining, not seen in earlier research. The fatigue tests of raw EBM-surfaces are interesting since the raw surface has shown to enhance bone ingrowths and therefore is suitable to use in some medical applications.
The Free Form Fabrication Process (FFF) is nowadays an accepted technology widely used for prototyping and manufacturing. However, it is still in an expansive phase and new applications like direct manufacturing of implants are evolving continuously. Present work describes the possibilities provided by the electron beam melting (EBM) method for orthopedics; in particular hip stem implant manufacturing. The conventional machining used for individually adapted prostheses typically involves advanced milling with the drawback of removing up to 80% of the material. This paper addresses the economic feasibility of using an additive approach for the manufacturing of typical orthopedic implants. The studied implants were manufactured from biocompatible Ti-6Al-4V alloy using both EBM and conventional CNC technologies and compared according to material consumption, manufacturing time and cost.
There is a trend toward operative treatment for certain types of clavicle fractures and these are usually treated with plate osteosynthesis. The subcutaneous location of the clavicle makes the plate fit important, but the clavicle has a complex shape, which varies greatly between individuals and hence standard plates often have a poor fit. Using computed tomography (CT) based design, the plate contour and screw positioning can be optimized to the actual case. A method for patient-specific plating using design based on CT-data, additive manufacturing (AM), and postprocessing was initially evaluated through three case studies, and the plate fit on the reduced fracture was tested during surgery (then replaced by commercial plates). In all three cases, the plates had an adequate fit on the reduced fracture. The time span from CT scan of the fracture to final implant was two days. An approach to achieve functional design and screw-hole positioning was initiated. These initial trials of patient-specific clavicle plating using AM indicate the potential for a smoother plate with optimized screw positioning. Further, the approach facilitates the surgeon's work and operating time can be saved.
Purpose-The surface roughness of products manufactured using the additive manufacturing (AM) technology of electron beam melting (EBM) has a special characteristic. Different product applications can demand rougher or finer surface structure, so the purpose of this study is to investigate the process parameters of EBM to find out how they affect surface roughness. Design/methodology/approach-EBM uses metal powder to manufacture metal parts. A design of experiment plan was used to describe the effects of the process parameters on the average surface roughness of vertical surfaces. Findings-The most important electron beam setting for surface roughness, accorDing to this study, is a combination of speed and current in the contours. The second most important parameter is contour offset. The interaction between the number of contours and contour offset also appears to be important, as it shows a much higher probability of being active than any other interaction. The results show that the line offset is not important when using contours. Research limitations/implications-This study examined contour offset, number of contours, speed in combination with current and line offset, which are process parameters controlling the electron beam. Practical implications-The surface properties could have an impact on the product's performance. A reduction in surface processing will not only save time and money but also reduce the environmental impact. Originality/value-Surface properties are important for many products. New themes containing process parameters have to be developed when introducing new materials to EBM manufacturing. During this process, it is very important to understand how the electron beam affects the melt pool.
This chapter discusses recent applications and findings in additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, applied in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The reader will get an introduction to the basics of AM technology followed by oral and maxillofacial applications like printing of anatomical models and the design and manufacturing of customised implants. Recent research on the biological response of some AM metal alloys is also discussed at the end of the chapter. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020. All rights reserved.
VerOpt, a MATLAB driven versatile optimization environment, enables the choice of a suitable optimization routine, parallelization over TCP/IP and the use of external solvers. VerOpt is the result of working towards the creation of a versatile yet effective environment for applied optimization studies. This paper presents the concepts behind VerOpt, including how and why we use parallelization, and the lessons learnt when using external solvers. The paper also gives a comparison of implemented optimization routines when applied to test problems. Currently, links to three external solvers are implemented. Two of them come from the commercial software market for engineering solutions: ANSYS (version 5.6 University High), a general purpose FE-code and C-MOLD (version 2000.7.1), a code for injection molding. The third solver is from the academic world, AnyBody, a code for biomechanical studies. The implemented optimization routines referred to are Method of Moving Asymptotes (MMA), Simulated Annealing (SA) and a genetic algorithm (GA). The MMA is a gradient-based algorithm whereas the other two can be classified as stochastic. The results of the comparison of the implemented optimization routines, in which �fmincon� from the MATLAB Optimization Toolbox is also used, show that MMA is generally the fastest routine, but does not always find the best solution. However, in test cases when parallelization is used the comparison is not ideal, since the parallelization procedures for the algorithms are not equivalent. When optimization routines are based on numerically computed gradients, such as MMA, they are embarrassingly parallel. This is because the gradients are independent of each other, which makes it possible to compute them simultaneously, but on different processors. For a stochastic routine such as SA a different approach is needed. In our case we have used a simple form of domain decomposition. An interesting result is that, in the test case involving ANSYS, we found that using ANSYS alone, as solver as well as optimizer, did not give such a good solution as using VerOpt. A clear future development is to add a greater number of different types of optimization routines. A possible future development is to transform VerOpt into something that is more akin to a regular style MATLAB Toolbox. Irrespective of this development, VerOpt will be a significant aid for education as well as research in applied optimization. It will also serve the authors as the environment for further research in the fields of injection molding and biomechanics.
Powder bed fusion processes based additively manufactured SS 316L components fall short of surface integrity requirements needed for optimal functional performance. Hence, machining is required to achieve dimensional accuracy and to enhance surface integrity characteristics. This research is focused on comparing the material removal performance of 316L produced by PBF-LB (laser) and PBF-EB (electron beam) in terms of tool wear and surface integrity. The results showed comparable surface topography and residual stress profiles. While the hardness profiles revealed work hardening at the surface where PBF-LB specimens being more susceptible to work hardening. The investigation also revealed differences in the progress of the tool wear when machining specimens produced with either PBF-LB or PBF-EB.
In order to reconstruct a patient with a bone defect in the mandible, a porous scaffold attached to a plate, both in a titanium alloy, was designed and manufactured using additive manufacturing. Regrettably, the implant fractured in vivo several months after surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the failure of the implant and show a way of predicting the mechanical properties of the implant before surgery. All computed tomography data of the patient were preprocessed to remove metallic artefacts with metal deletion technique before mandible geometry reconstruction. The three-dimensional geometry of the patient's mandible was also reconstructed, and the implant was fixed to the bone model with screws in Mimics medical imaging software. A finite element model was established from the assembly of the mandible and the implant to study stresses developed during mastication. The stress distribution in the load-bearing plate was computed, and the location of main stress concentration in the plate was determined. Comparison between the fracture region and the location of the stress concentration shows that finite element analysis could serve as a tool for optimizing the design of mandible implants.
This paper describes a successful co-operation between the university and the industry in the county of Jämtland, Sweden. The project was initiated by the plastic manufacturing company Essge-Plast who wanted to incorporate Mid Sweden University in one of their in-house projects. The task was to design a new type of bracket and information plate for Stockholm�s burial grounds. Different kind of CAE software was used in order to visualize the concept and to simulate the production of the plastic part. Also, rapid prototyping was used in order to confirm the design of the bracket and the plate.
The interest in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing methods, such as electron beam melting (EBM), is increasing constantly and main business areas driving the development are aerospace and implant manufacturers. EBM manufactured parts have a rather coarse surface roughness mainly originating from the layer thickness and the powder grains melted by the electron beam. Thus, there is an interest in understanding how the surface properties influences the fatigue performance of the material. In this study, EBM manufactured Ti-6Al-4V was investigated at high cycle fatigue using rotating beam and different types of specimens regarding geometry, as-built and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-processing were evaluated. The results confirm that as-built surfaces affect the fatigue limit and a small size specimen geometry for rotating beam fatigue testing is proposed as a part of material and process verification.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate how as-built electron beam melting (EBM) surface properties affect the onset of blood coagulation. The properties of EBM-manufactured implant surfaces for placement have, until now, remained largely unexplored in literature. Implants with conventional designs and custom-made implants have been manufactured using EBM technology and later placed into the human body. Many of the conventional implants used today, such as dental implants, display modified surfaces to optimize bone ingrowth, whereas custom-made implants, by and large, have machined surfaces. However, titanium in itself demonstrates good material properties for the purpose of bone ingrowth. Materials and Methods: Specimens manufactured using EBM were selected according to their surface roughness and process parameters. EBM-produced specimens, conventional machined titanium surfaces, as well as PVC surfaces for control were evaluated using the slide chamber model. Results: A significant increase in activation was found, in all factors evaluated, between the machined samples and EBM-manufactured samples. The results show that EBM-manufactured implants with as-built surfaces augment the thrombogenic properties. Conclusion: EBM that uses Ti6Al4V powder appears to be a good manufacturing solution for load-bearing implants with bone anchorage. The as-built surfaces can be used "as is" for direct bone contact, although any surface treatment available for conventional implants can be performed on EBM-manufactured implants with a conventional design.
3D-printing, or as it is also known, additive manufacturing (AM), is promising to be one of the determining manufacturing technologies of the present century. It is not a single technology but a family of rather different ones common in the way components are made, adding materials layer by layer. Additive manufacturing is already quite competitive to existing and well established technologies, but it also can provide unprecedented flexibility and complexity of shapes making components from the materials as different as cheese, chocolate and cream, live cells, concrete, polymers and metal. Many more materials we were not even thinking about few years ago are also becoming available in additive manufacturing, making it really believable that “only the sky is the limit”. During the time available for the keynote lecture, we will analyze the present position of AM in relation to other technologies, the features that make it so promising and its influence upon the part of our life we call sports and health, using the examples relevant to the Congress areas from computer systems to sports performance. Out of all enormities of materials available for different representatives of this manufacturing family we will concentrate at polymers and metals. AM technologies working with these two material families are already providing some unique solutions within the application areas relevant to the Congress' scope. We will also talk about some limitations inherent to the AM in polymers and metals to have the awareness that though the limit is somewhere “high in the sky”, it still exists.
The paper presents the prospects of additive manufacturing (AM) in metal, using the powder bed fusion (PBF) method Electron Beam Melting (EBM) in fabrication specific steel-based alloys for different applications. The proposed approach includes manufacturing of metals from blended pre-alloyed powders for achieving in situ alloying and the material microstructure tailoring by controlling electron beam energy deposition rate EBM tests were conducted with the blends of 316L stainless steel and Colferoloys 103 and 139, corrosion- and abrasion-resistant iron based materials commonly used for plasma spray coating. Thorough microstructure analysis of the manufactured sample was carried out using electron microscopy and measurements of microhardness and elastic modulus was carried out using nanoindentation. It is concluded that implementation of blended powder pathway in PBF AM allows to widen the scope of available materials through diminishing the dependence on the availability of pre-alloyed powders. Together with beam energy steering this pathway also allows for an effective sample microstructure control at different dimensional scales, resulting in components with unique properties. Therefore, the implementation of ‘blended powder pathway’ in PBF AM provides a possibility of manufacturing components with the composite-like and homogeneous zones allowing for the microstructure control and effectively adding a “4th dimension” to “3D printing".
Today powder bed fusion based (PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) methods in metallic materials mainly employ pre-alloyed precursor powders. It was even somehow assumed that in situ alloying of the blended powders will not be effective and such PBF processing will not yield any valuable materials. Recent studies carried out both for laser- and electron beam- based PBF have demonstrated possibilities of using precursors blended from both elemental and alloyed powders. We also demonstrate that composites and alloys indeed can be manufactured from a range of different pre-blended powders with Electron Beam Melting (EBM). It is also possible achieving both composites and alloys by design in different parts of the manufactured components by varying the beam energy deposition strategy. Using sequentially fed precursor powders together with a new powder delivery system also allows manufacturing of the functionally graded materials with gradual composition variation. Blended powder precursors and sequential powder feeding should provide opportunities of manufacturing components with changing composition and material properties in a single manufacturing process. It makes possible modern industrial manufacturing of materials similar to Damascus steels, and other composites and composite-like materials in combinations with alloyed and gradient sections by choice in different parts of components.
Present paper describes early findings from the study of Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds additively manufactured using electron beam melting (EBM®) technology and the influence of surface topography on the initial stages of cell acceptance. The surface topography of the components made by additive manufacturing (AM) processes including EBM® are often hard to control within the desired feature size range without post-processing. Two groups of experiments studying the behavior of human osteoblast-like cells (MG63) on samples with different surface roughness were carried out in vitro: Ti-6Al-4V samples only powder-blasted, and Ti-6Al-4V samples additionally electrochemically polished. The cell migration into powder-blasted Ti-6Al-4V 3D scaffolds with different shapes and dimensions of the lattice structures were studied.
Recent developments in metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies have introduced great capabilities unparalleled by conventional manufacturing, not only in achieving freeform geometries, but also in opening new possibilities to tailor the microstructure/properties of materials by controlling process parameters. Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is one of the most important members of the Powder Bed Fusion(PBF) family; it uses a focused electron beam to melt metal powder in a layer by layer approach. One of the main challenges that EBM faces nowadays is the lack of commercially available materials (most of them are Ti-based or Ni-based alloys). Therefore, there is a strong interest to further develop the process for new materials, including steel-based ones. In this investigation two steel-based powders; stainless steel 316L and a tool steel developed by Uddeholm, were used to manufacture functionally graded materials. A special hardware setup using a single powder dispenser was installed in the EBM system, where powders were placed separately to manufacture 10x10x10 mm cubes. SEM images of the specimens’ polished cross sections show a gradual microstructural transition from characteristic 316L one on the bottom of the specimens to the tool steel towards the top. Nanoindentation experiments confirmed a consequent gradient in hardness and elastic modulus, which gradually increase towards top surface. These results show great possibilities to tailor microstructure and mechanical properties by combining different powders in the EBM technology. Potential applications include the tooling industry, where hard and wear-resistant materials are demanded on the surface whether tougher and more ductile behavior is desirable on the core of the tool.
Electron beam melting (EBM) is one of the constantly developing powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing technologies (AM) offering advanced control over the manufacturing process. Freedom of component shapes is one of the AM competitive advantages already used at industrial and semi- industrial scale. Development of the additive manufacturing today is targeting both widening of the available materials classes, and introducing new enabling modalities. Present research is related to the new possibilities in tailoring different material properties within additively manufactured components effectively adding “fourth dimension to the 3D-printing”. Specific examples are given in relation to the electron beam melting, but majority of the conclusions are valid for the laser-based PBF techniques as well. Through manipulating beam energy deposition it is possible to tailor quite different material properties selectively within each manufactured component, including effective material density as well as thermal, mechanical, electrical and acoustic properties. It is also possible to acquire by choice both metal-metal composite and completely alloyed material, when blends of precursor powder are used together with the beam energy manipulation.
In this paper we would like to illustrate the present and future of additive manufacturing technologies in medicine, in particular when helping the humanity to acquire some needed "spare parts", using some examples provided by the Sports Technology (SportsTech) Group at the Department of Engineering and Sustainable Development of the Mid Sweden University.
This paper presents some results achieved in the biomedical applications of the EBM® technology, and describes the resolved and unresolved challenges presented by modern medical implant manufacturing. In particular it outlines the issues related to the cellular structure design and metal surface modification. Moving to precision control of the metal surface at a microand sub-micrometer scale is a serious challenge to the EBM® processing, because it uses the powder with average grain size of about 0.04 to 0.1 mm. Though manufacturing of components with solidmesh geometry and porous surfaces using EBM® is quite possible, post- processing (for example chemical or electrochemical) is needed to achieve desired control of the surface at smaller scales to realize full potential of the technology for biomedical applications.
Paper discusses the challenges of additive manufacturing when multidimensional shape and surface feature control of the component on wide scale is essential, as it is for the manufacturing of the metallic biomedical implants. Paper also discusses most critical demands imposed by the biomedical implant manufacturing including implant surface roughness issues along with possible solution pathways, and gives some examples of the problems encountered and achievements reached in solving these challenges for the Ti6Al4V EBM®- manufactured components.
Advantages of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies benefit from the freedom of component shapes achievable in a single manufacturing process, short design-to-market times, and energy and material efficiency. AM in metal also allows for extremely high quality of the material, low residual stress in "as manufactured" parts (especially with Electron Beam Melting, EBM®), and gives promise of exciting new materials with unique composition and properties. Beam- based additive manufacturing in metal uses sources with extremely high energy density like lasers and electron beams resulting in fast melting-solidification dynamics. Materials produced at such conditions often have unique microstructure and properties, which allows speaking about new, non-stationary metallurgy. Knowledge of traditional metallurgical processes, which are mainly stationary, is often not adequate for understanding the processes involved with AM in metal, especially in cases of new materials. Along with some technological challenges this prevents fast growth of full-scale industrial application of AM. Though extensive research is carried out on new materials for AM, so far it is mainly centered at the development of process parameters for the materials already known from more traditional technologies. And at the moment it is an art rather than science as additive manufacturing in metal is far from being a “push-button” process. In order to develop future materials with required microstructure utilizing in full unique manufacturing conditions it is important to go “back to basics” and carefully study the processes involved. Present paper outlines some of the existing research and technology challenges relevant to the industrial applications of the beam-based AM in metal and possible pathways to solutions basing on multiple years of practical work.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has solidly established itself not only in rapid prototyping but also in industrial manufacturing. Its success is mainly determined by a possibility of manufacturing components with extremely complex shapes with minimal material waste. Rapid development of AM technologies includes processes using unique new materials, which in some cases is very hard or impossible to process any other way. Along with traditional industrial applications AM methods are becoming quite successful in biomedical applications, in particular in implant and special tools manufacturing. Here the capacity of AM technologies in producing components with complex geometric shapes is often brought to extreme.
Certain issues today are preventing the AM methods taking its deserved place in medical and biomedical applications. Present work reports on the advances in further developing of AM technology, as well as in related post-processing, necessary to address the challenges presented by biomedical applications. Particular examples used are from Electron Beam Melting (EBM), one of the methods from the AM family.