Electron beam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) is an additivemanufacturing (AM) method based on layer-by-layer melting of apowder bed. The technology is industrialized in certain applicationsbut still considered as immature and is not as widely used as laserbeam-based systems (PBF-LB). PBF-EB can offer several benefits overPBF-LB such as process cleanliness, thermal efficiency, fast beam speed,higher power and energy transfer, low residual stresses in built partsand a good signal environment for process monitoring. This can beadded on top of the general benefits of AM such as geometricalfreedom, manufacturing efficiency, easy design revisions, short leadtimes and so on. This suggests that PBF-EB holds potential as atechnology for the sustainable production of materials andcomponents. This thesis investigates how PBF-EB can be furtherdeveloped to create new and unique materials features. This isachieved by introducing innovative methods for material processingand by further developing the PBF-EB process itself. The thesisintroduces a charge-free heating method for PBF-EB and the resultssuggest an enhanced processability of difficult-to-process materialsand powders. A method for building multi-materials in PBF-EB isintroduced and demonstrated by the manufacturing of direct andlamellar transitions between different alloys. Methods for processmonitoring and powder bed resistivity evaluation are proposed andxiidemonstrated. It is concluded that the results presented in this thesisenabled new PBF-EB processing modes, increased the knowledge ofthe process, and introduced a new material group by demonstratingthat ceramics can be processed at high temperatures (~1600C). / <p>Vid tidpunkten för framläggningen av avhandlingen var följande delarbeten opublicerade: delarbete 2 och delarbete 4 (inskickat).</p><p>At the time of the defence the following papers were unpublished: paper 2 and paper 4 (submitted).</p>

The Powder Bed Fusion using Electron Beam (PBF-EB) process is a highly complex additive manufacturing process. There are a very limited number of materials that have been used successfully, which limits the applications of the process, despite its well-documented advantages over conventional manufacturing. However, the development of new materials is hindered due to a lack of understanding of the fundamental phenomena in the process. The goal of this work has been to develop a model that is able to predict the process parameters that will lead to the manufacture of a fully dense component.   The model is based on 1285 empirical datasets of process parameters and the physical properties of the printed materials. Nine different materials were included in the data. By inputting a pre-defined set of process parameters and materials properties the model will output the beam power at which it is predicted a dense component may be manufactured. This novel approach will shorten the development of new process parameters by providing a first approximation of suitable parameters to iterate from. A tool steel powder supplied by Uddeholms AB was printed, using parameters proposed by the model. Two sets of pre-defined process parameters were used with several beam velocities and resulted in a number of correct predictions.   This model is a first step in predicting process parameters and presents a simple, transparent and new method of obtaining the process window for novel materials in Powder Bed Fusion using Electron Beam. / Powder Bed Fusion med Electron Beam (PBF-EB) är en mycket komplex additiv tillverkningsprocess. Det finns ett fåtal antal material som går att använda i processen. Detta är ett förhinder för applikationer trots processens väldokumenterade fördelar över konventionell framställning. Framtagning av nya material är dock hejdad på grund av okunskap kring de grundläggande fenomenen inom processen. Målet med detta arbete har varit att utveckla en modell som kan förutse processparametrar vilka ger helt kompakta komponenter.   Modellen är baserad på totalt 1285 data uppsättningar av processparametrar och de fysiska egenskaperna av de printade materialen. Data på nio olika material har samlats in. Genom att mata in ett par förbestämda processparametrar och materialets specifika materialegenskaper så beräknar modellen kraften på strålen vid vilken det förutspås att goda resultat framställs. Denna nya metod kortar ned tiden inom traditionell processparameterutveckling genom att bistå med en första iteration att arbeta utifrån. Ett verktygsstålspulver tillverkat av Uddeholms AB vart printat med hjälp av modellen. Två uppsättningar av förbestämda processparametrar användes vid flera olika stråles hastigheter och resulterade i åtskilliga lyckade förutsägelser.   Denna modell är ett första steg i att förutspå processparametrar och presenterar en simpel, transparant och ny metod till att finna process fönstret för nya material i Powder Bed Fusion med Electron Beam processen.