As-HIP Microstructure Of EBM Fabricated Shell Components

Paper in proceeding, 2016

Electron Beam Melting (EBM) was used to build Ti-6Al-4V cylindrical shell samples with different wall thickness filled with powder. Built shell samples were HIPed and the difference in microstructure between the EBM-built walls and densified powder inside the shell components was studied as well as the cohesion between these two regions. Components characterization utilizing LOM and SEM+EBSD indicates that columnar grain growth was consistent before and after HIP in the EBM-built part of the components (walls), whereas the densified material in the center of the component had a fine isotropic microstructure, characteristic for HIPed material. The combination of EBM and HIP is shown to be an attractive way of manufacturing complex-shape full density components for high performance applications, involving shortening of built time in the EBM-processing and lead time in capsule fabrication for HIP.