JEOL’s Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion machine achieves AMS7011 operational qualification standard
November 6, 2023
JEOL USA Inc, based in Peabody, Massachusetts, USA, has achieved the AMS7032 operational qualification for its JAM-5200EBM Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) metal Additive Manufacturing machine. The company has also achieved the material requirements for Ti-6Al-4V alloy, as per AMS7011, after Hot Isostatic Pressing.
The AMS7032 Operational Qualification Standard evaluates the ability of an AM Powder Bed Fusion machine to consistently meet material specification requirements while maintaining process control and stability over several builds. This includes maintaining process control and stability across multiple builds.
To adhere to the OQ procedures in AMS7032, three identical builds were created, containing a large number of Ti-6Al-4V specimens in all three orientations and encompassing the entire JAM-5200EBM build envelope, using reused powder that conformed to the AMS7015 specification. Afterward, these specimens underwent tensile testing, microstructure evaluation, chemical composition testing, radiography, and other tests to confirm they met the AMS7011 requirements. An ISO17025-accredited laboratory performed all of the required post-processing and testing of the specimen.
The results of the testing not only demonstrate the machine’s stability, but also highlighted a strength of the machine: the JAM-5200EBM produces material with excellent ductility and very low anisotropy. These findings suggest that designers could have substantial freedom in part orientation within the build envelope, thereby enhancing Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) flexibility and unlocking the potential for genuinely optimised designs.
“JEOL has provided metrology, analytical, and electron beam manufacturing instruments for over seventy years and understands that manufacturers must have confidence in their tools,” shared Bob Pohorenec, president of JEOL USA. “Meeting the AMS7032 operational qualification standard ensures manufacturers that the JAM-5200EBM is capable of producing aerospace-grade material with stable performance and meets all material specification requirements. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to quality and reliability.”
For businesses in the aerospace industry, JEOL’s initiative is hoped to provide an alternative for metal Additive Manufacturing of essential parts in the production process. This would give them users access to JEOL’s over seventy years of electron beam experience as the companies work to ensuring that parts will meet the compliance standards established to prevent failures.
The results were initially presented at two events in October: the Fall meeting of the SAE AMS AM Additive Manufacturing Metals committee and the NRC Workshop on Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Nuclear Applications.
JEOL is exhibiting at Formnext 2023 in Hall 12, E59.
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