Assessment of Cost and Energy Requirements of Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and Machining Processes

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing is under the spotlight as potential disruptive technology, particularly for the production of complex-shaped structural metallic components. However, the actual AM process capabilities present some limitations in achieving the strict part quality requirements imposed by the aerospace and automotive sectors. Therefore, the integration of AM and conventional manufacturing represents an emerging scenario to be investigated. In this paper, a pure machining process and a hybrid production route (based on EBM and finish machining) are compared. The influence of material usage-related factors on costs and energy demand is discussed. The results prove that, despite precise process judgments are case-specific, the proposed methodologies are suitable to provide guidelines for identifying the optimal manufacturing route under multiple design objectives.