Titanium alloys manufactured with Electron Beam Melting - Mechanical and Chemical properties

In recent years, Electron Beam Melting (EBM) has matured as a technology for rapid manufacturing of fully dense metal parts. The parts are built by additive consolidation of thin layers of metal powder, using an electron beam. With EBM, it is possible to create parts with geometries too complex to be fabricated by other methods, e.g. fine network structures, internal cavities and channels. A complete study of the mechanical and chemical properties has been made on both RAW and HIP condition on Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V ELI, revealing the true benefit of using EBM for series production of orthopedic implants. With its production- like environment it delivers full traceability from ingot to the final part and complies with the industry-driven standards for medical devices such as acetabular shells. The EBM process is described in detail, with focus on material properties of titanium alloys used for orthopedic implants.