Mid Sweden University

This master thesis presents the pre-study results of a new way of creating multi-material components using Electron Beam Melting and powder bed fusion. The proposed approach includes loading the two hoppers of an ARCAM A2 with two dissimilar metal feedstock powders and using the inbuilt powder dispensing rake to control which powder is applied layer-by-layer. The work was done in collaboration with Sports Tech Research Centre at Mid Sweden University within the scope of the research project FUN-LAM. The study aimed to test the method as mentioned above to create components with gradient/direct shifts or lamellas of different material compositions within one continuous build process. Two samples were successfully created using a combination of titanium and stainless steel, though these samples split at the interface of the two metals and were not studied further. Three more samples combining stainless steel and tool steel were created with more promising results. Analysis of these samples by Vickers micro indentation tests shows a clear difference in hardness between the areas of the two metals used, and further Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses confirm these differences. The analysis also shows that a high degree of blending of the two powders occurs during the build process, affecting the produced part's resulting properties. Further refinement of the method is needed, especially when it comes to powder dispensing and control within the machine during the build process.