Industrial Metal Additive Manufacturing Technologies

About the Course

The manufacture of high-value engineering components increasingly demands greater design flexibility, material efficiency and production capability than conventional processes can always provide. Metal additive manufacturing offers alternative routes for producing complex components, restoring damaged parts and supporting flexible manufacturing through technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion, Directed Energy Deposition and Binder Jetting. Successful application, however, requires much more than converting a digital model into a printed component. The complete production route must be controlled, as feedstock characteristics, machine preparation, process parameters and thermal conditions can directly influence density, microstructure, residual stress, dimensional accuracy, surface condition, mechanical properties, defect formation and final component performance.

This 5-day Industrial Metal Additive Manufacturing Technologies training course provides a practical, production-focused examination of major metal AM processes and their industrial application. Delegates will examine process and equipment selection, metallic powders and wires, build preparation and control, process monitoring, metallurgy, defect prevention, heat treatment, support removal, machining, surface finishing, inspection and qualification. It also addresses the transition from development to controlled industrial production through process validation, machine and material consistency, traceability, health and safety, production cost and repeatability, with relevant ISO/ASTM requirements integrated across feedstock control, process qualification, inspection and industrial production. Industrial components, process data, build problems, defect examples, inspection results and production case studies are integrated throughout, enabling delegates to evaluate technologies, select suitable processes and materials, assess component quality and support reliable implementation of metal AM within industrial operations.

Core Objectives

The delegates will achieve the following objectives:

• Select suitable metal additive manufacturing processes based on component geometry, material, size, production requirements and performance criteria
• Assess the capabilities and limitations of industrial metal AM technologies, equipment and metallic feedstocks for specific manufacturing applications
• Control build preparation, process parameters and operating conditions to improve component quality and manufacturing consistency
• Relate AM processing conditions to microstructure, residual stress, mechanical properties, defect formation and component performance
• Diagnose common metal AM defects, determine their likely causes and identify appropriate preventive and corrective actions
• Evaluate post-processing, inspection, testing and qualification requirements for verifying component quality and production readiness
• Develop practical strategies for implementing controlled, repeatable and reliable metal AM production within industrial manufacturing

Training Approach

This training course uses a practical, production-focused and problem-solving approach that examines metal additive manufacturing through industrial operations, equipment requirements, metallic feedstocks, process parameters, component defects, inspection findings and production challenges rather than as isolated theoretical subjects. Delegates will work with industrial examples involving metal powders, wire feedstocks, AM machines, build layouts, support structures, manufactured components, heat-treated parts and inspection results. Practical exercises and case studies will require delegates to select appropriate AM processes and materials, review build requirements, assess the effects of decisions made before, during and after the build, investigate manufacturing defects, interpret inspection information and determine appropriate corrective actions. It emphasises process selection, production control, material behaviour, defect prevention, quality verification, repeatability and the successful implementation of metal AM within industrial manufacturing, with applicable ISO/ASTM requirements referenced in relation to industrial practice.

The Attendees

This training course is designed for engineering, manufacturing and technical professionals involved in selecting, implementing, operating, supporting or evaluating metal additive manufacturing technologies and production processes.

A broad range of professionals will benefit, including but not limited to:

• Additive Manufacturing Engineers
• Manufacturing and Production Engineers
• Materials and Metallurgical Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Process Engineers
• Design and Product Development Engineers
• Quality and Inspection Engineers
• R&D and Advanced Manufacturing Engineers
• Production and Manufacturing Managers
• Engineering and Technical Managers

Daily Discussion

DAY ONE: SELECTING METAL AM TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

• Component and Production Suitability for Metal AM
• Powder Bed Fusion, Directed Energy Deposition and Binder Jetting
• Process Capability and Component Requirements
• Metal AM and Conventional Manufacturing Processes
• Equipment Capability, Build Environment and Process Limitations
• Technical Value, Production Benefits and Manufacturing Risks
• Metal AM Process Selection for Industrial Components

DAY TWO: FEEDSTOCK, MACHINE PREPARATION AND BUILD CONTROL

• Metal Powders, Wires and Feedstock Qualification
• Powder Characteristics, Contamination, Storage and Reuse
• Machine, Build Platform and Processing Environment Preparation
• Laser, Electron Beam and Deposition Process Parameters
• Layer Thickness, Scan Strategy, Energy Input and Thermal Conditions
• Build Monitoring and Process Variations
• Metal AM Build Preparation and Review

DAY THREE: METALLURGY, DEFECTS AND COMPONENT PERFORMANCE

• Solidification and Microstructural Development in Metal AM
• Process Parameters, Density and Mechanical Properties
• Residual Stress, Distortion, Anisotropy and Build Orientation
• Porosity, Lack of Fusion, Cracking and Inclusions
• Defect Sources and Build Conditions
• Build Failure Investigation and Corrective Actions
• Metal AM Component Defect Investigation

DAY FOUR: POST-PROCESSING, INSPECTION AND QUALIFICATION

• Heat Treatment and Stress Relief of Metal AM Components
• Support Removal, Machining, Surface Finishing and Dimensional Correction
• Hot Isostatic Pressing and Component Integrity
• NDT, CT, Dimensional Inspection and Material Testing
• Density, Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Surface Verification
• Process Validation, Component Qualification and Traceability
• Post-Processing and Inspection Route for Metal AM Components

DAY FIVE: INDUSTRIALISING METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• Prototype-to-Production Transition and Repeatability
• Machine, Material, Process and Operator Consistency
• Production Planning, Build Utilisation, Lead Time and Capacity
• Feedstock, Machine Time, Post-Processing, Inspection and Total Production Cost
• Health, Safety, Powder Handling and Environmental Controls
• Conventional and Hybrid Manufacturing Integration
• Industrial Production Route for Metal AM Components

Certificate Awarded

Upon successful completion of this training course, participants will be awarded a Certificate of Completion from XCalibre Training Centre, acknowledging their accomplishment. This certificate serves as a testament to their dedication to developing their skills and advancing their expertise in their respective fields.