Colibrium Additive introduces Point Melt, Powder Supports and Plate Free

Colibrium Additive, a GE Aerospace company, has unveiled EBMControl 6.4, a major upgrade to its core electron beam melting (EB-PBF) software.

“Much anticipated by our customers and with them in mind, we are delighted to be releasing EMBC 6.4 at RAPID this year. We continuously evolve our EB-PBF printers to take them to the next level. With the additive industry’s largest team of electron beam additive experts, we are dedicated to helping our customers unlock the full potential of EB-PBF technology,” said Oscar Angervall, senior product manager, Colibrium Additive.

Point Melt technology enables the melting of metal powder through small “dots” instead of lines, allowing for more precise temperature control and a reduction in temperature gradients during the printing process. This results in excellent isotropic material properties, regardless of the printing direction, and a significant increase in yield strength. Parts produced with Point Melt have a surface roughness comparable to that of the laser melting process.

“Controlled with adaptive software algorithms, Point Melt marks a step change in melt strategy. Metal parts can benefit from a reduction of support needed to build overhangs and an improved surface quality,” added Angervall.

Powder Supports helps to support parts during printing. Thanks to the extended process window provided by Point Melt, the number of support structures required is significantly reduced or completely eliminated. This leads to a reduction in post-processing costs and improved dimensional accuracy. This technology is particularly beneficial for the aerospace and medical industries, as smaller parts such as femoral knee implants can be printed without conventional supports, reducing post-processing costs and times.

“For the aerospace and medical industries, we can now print smaller parts, such as a femoral knee implant, fully without traditional supports, which reduces post-processing cost and time. For some components this application will drastically improve the business case for customers,” continued Angervall.

The Plate Free function is a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to conventional starting plate heating. The gradual sintering of the powder creates a stable base on which the parts can be built. This has numerous benefits, including reduced machine turnaround times, reduced risk of contamination and longer cathode life. In addition, several printing processes can be started per machine cycle, which increases efficiency.

Overall, EBMControl 6.4 marks a significant advance in the field of 3D printing and offers users enhanced possibilities to optimize their production processes and improve the quality of the parts produced. With these innovations, Colibrium Additive underlines its position as a leading company in the field of EB-PBF technology.