Abstract
There are numerous additive manufacturing approaches being used and tested all over the world. Fused-deposition modeling (FDM) is the popular extrusion approach that has been popular with manufacturers who produce small thermoplastic products and parts. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a popular granular approach that has produced a variety of mall to medium-sized metal and ceramic items for manufacturers in a wide range of industries. Electron beam direct manufacturing (EBDM) is the only additive manufacturing approach that has produced metal structures more than 10 feet long. The EBDM process with its VX-300 electron beam welding chamber has a standard build envelope of 19 × 4 × 4 ft, which allows manufacturers to produce very large structures/parts, with virtually no waste. Deposition rates typically range from 7 to 20 lb per hour, depending upon part geometry and the material selected. A dual wire-feed system can be utilized with the process to increase deposition efficiency, as well as to easily switch to different deposition materials.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 40-44 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Welding Journal |
Volume | 93 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Mar 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Metals and Alloys