Grain structure evolution in Inconel 718 during selective electron beam melting

Selective electron beam melting (SEBM) is an additive manufacturing method where complex parts are built from metal powders in layers of typically 50 µm. An electron beam is used for heating (about 900 °C building temperature) and selective melting of the material. The grain structure evolution is a result of the complex thermal and hydrodynamic conditions in the melt pool. We show how different scanning strategies can be used to produce either a columnar grain structure with a high texture in building direction or an equiaxed fine grained structure. Numerical simulations of the selective melting process are applied to study the fundamental mechanisms responsible for differing grain structures. It is shown, that the direction of the thermal gradient during solidification can be altered by scanning strategies to acquire either epitaxial growth or stray grains. We show that it is possible to locally alter the grain structure of a part, thus allowing tailoring of the mechanical properties.