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3D printing using electron beams
Prof. Dr. Carolin Körner, Chair of Materials Science and Engineering for Metals at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant, which is not only extraordinary funding, but also recognition of Erlangen and Nuremberg as an exceptional location for science and research. The EU has granted 3 million euros in funding to support research in additive manufacturing of high-performance components using high-energy electron beams.
Additive manufacturing (AM), better known as 3D printing, is increasingly becoming a key technology in industry. Until now, the process has been used predominantly for manufacturing prototypes and small batches. Typically, AM uses a computer-operated laser beam to create three dimensional workpieces layer by layer from liquid plastics or metal powders, usually based on hardening or melting processes. ‘The laser method is the method of choice for most applications, but it has some critical disadvantages,’ says Carolin Körner. ‘It is very hard to monitor manufacturing quality during production and certain high-performance alloys cannot be processed at all.’