Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is nowadays well established as an additive manufacturing technology within Aerospace and Medical industry to produce parts out of high-performance materials such as Titanium, Titanium Aluminides, Tool Steels, and even pure Copper.

In comparison to other additive manufacturing technologies (AM), the hot EBM process leads in general to a low level of remaining residual stresses and prevent parts from warpage. The ability to use the electron beam for heating and melting is at the same time the enabler for processing non-weldable alloys. Furthermore, fast beam deflection and a controlled vacuum environment offers perfect conditions for an efficient AM processing of high-performance materials for application in extreme environments such as in turbine engines.
Therefore, GE Additive is continuously working on expanding the EBM material portfolio for high-temperature applications in turbine engines to meet customer needs now, and in the future.

One recent example for EBM material development is:
           • Alloy 247, a non-weldable Ni-based Superalloy for Flow-Path Hardware and HPT applications showing excellent creep and fatigue properties > 950°C.

AM processing of Alloy 247 is challenging, as a tight process control due to the high crack-susceptibility is required. It is difficult to process using other powder bed AM technologies like L-PBF.

In this contribution we show how EBM enables a successful crack- and defect-free processing of Alloy 247. Besides a defect-free processing, EBM flexibility offers a unique opportunity to tailor the microstructure to serve material requirements needed in high-temperature application. Generated EBM material properties are comparable or even better than traditionally casted Alloy 247 material.
Thus, corresponding mechanical and microstructural properties in different conditions will be presented and discussed to show EBM material capabilities.

In addition, application specific test geometries will be used to demonstrate EBM capabilities for producing and post-processing of complex parts like turbine blades, or the GE Additive way from material development towards industrialization.