Jeol’s Electron Beam 3D Printer Meets Aerospace Qualification Standard

Jeol’s JAM-5200EBM metal 3D printer, a production-ready electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) solution, has demonstrated the ability to meet the AMS7032 operational qualification (OQ) standards, while achieving the AMS7011 material requirements for Ti-6Al-4V alloy with post-deposition hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Jeol says it is the first EB-PBF machine known to meet the requirements of AMS7011 since they were first established on another EB-PBF manufacturer’s model.

The AMS7032 Operational Qualification Standard evaluates the ability of an AM PBF machine to consistently meet material specification requirements while maintaining process control and stability over several builds. To comply with the OQ procedures listed in AMS7032, three identical builds containing a large number of Ti-6Al-4V specimens in all three orientations and encompassing the entire JAM-5200EBM build envelope were made using reused powder that conformed to the AMS7015 specification. The specimens were then subjected to tensile testing, microstructure evaluation, chemical composition testing, radiography and other tests to verify they met the requirements of AMS7011. All required postprocessing and testing of the specimen was performed at an ISO17025-accredited laboratory. 

The results of the testing not only demonstrated the high stability of the machine but also revealed a key strength of this system — the Jeol JAM-5200EBM system produces material with excellent ductility and very low anisotropy. These results also indicate that designers should have significant freedom in how parts are oriented within the build envelope, thus enabling greater design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) flexibility and unlocking the potential for truly optimized designs.

“Jeol has provided metrology, analytical and electron beam manufacturing instruments for over 70 years, and understands that manufacturers must have confidence in their tools,” says 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 operating in the aerospace industry, our efforts greenlight a new alternative for 3D metal printing of parts essential in the manufacturing process. This grants them access to Jeol’s more than 70 years of electron beam expertise and grants the peace of mind that parts will meet compliance standards set in place to avoid failures.

Jeol is excited to share the insights and outcomes of its success meeting the qualification standards of AMS7032 and the material requirements of AMS 7011 with the wider community. The results were first presented at the Fall meeting of the SAE AMS AM Additive Manufacturing Metals committee, and the NRC Workshop on Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Nuclear Applications, both held in October. Jeol will further host a webinar on Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. ET, offering an in-depth discussion of the results, capabilities and future prospects of this AM system.

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