The University of Innsbruck has installed a Wayland Additive Calibur3 electron beam (eBeam) metal additive manufacturing (AM) system.
Made possible with funding from Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as part of the “R&D Infrastructure Funding Program 2024”, the machine will be used across the Faculty of Engineering Sciences, the Department of Mechatronics and the Group for Materials Science.
The Calibur3 machine will be used to support ongoing material and process development efforts, with a specific focus being placed on processing 'difficult' and high-temperature materials.
Key to the decision to adopt a Calibur3 system was the ability of the Calibur 3's NeuBeam technology to neutralise the charge during the build process, while other eBeam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) systems require extensive pre-sintering of the powder bed to mitigate smoke events caused by electrostatic charging. Beyond charge neutralisation, the university also noted the machine's open architecture and small build tank, which enables researchers to modify scan strategies, beam parameters and energy input in real time.
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Lukas Zelger, coordinator of the Materials Science Group, said: "The Calibur3 is the first system of this new PBF-EB generation in Austria. What makes it stand out for us are its broad process monitoring capabilities as well as the innovative Active Charge Neutralisation technology. In combination, they allow us to follow a data-driven approach to push the limits of the technology, break new ground and to work in the processing gap between traditional PBF-LB and PBF-EB."
Dr. Jakob Braun, Senior Scientist at the University of Innsbruck, added: “I regard the Wayland Calibur3 machine as the most innovative PBF-EB machine for materials research on the market at the moment. This is because of the freedom in temperature management independent of an otherwise necessary pre-sintering step and full control of the scanning strategy in combination with high-speed, high-resolution thermal imaging, which is especially beneficial for adjusting the microstructures of the alloys to achieve the best material properties.”
Darrin Dickinson, Head of Business Development (EMEA) at Wayland Additive, offered: “We are incredibly proud to be able to supply our Calibur3 system to the University of Innsbruck after their open tender for a system to meet their needs. Lukas, Jakob and the entire team at the Innsbruck facility are at the forefront of materials science and AM research. The new Calibur3 installation, featuring our NeuBeam process, will greatly help their materials research and allow them to process materials in ways that have not been possible with other technologies. The installation of Calibur3 will open up new areas of research for the team and ultimately help them further their goals to work outside of the temperature constraints of other technologies in the market and to solve real-world processing challenges for high-performance metal alloys.”
