Electron beam welding of AlSi10Mg workpieces produced by selected laser melting additive manufacturing technology

Electron beam welding (EBW) is a high-density energy (low heat input) welding technique, resulting in a narrow heat affected zone (HAZ), causing minimal metallurgical changes in the workpieces. The present research work investigates EB autogenous welded AlSi10Mg samples, produced by the selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing (AM) method, with emphasis on the characterization of the joint's macro- and microstructure. When comparing the LB welded AM parts to the EB welded cast samples two main differences were observed: weld metal porosity and a negligible HAZ in the AM joints and low porosity level but substantial HAZ in the welded cast parts. These preliminary results show for the first time the feasibility of the EBW technique on AM-SLM specimens. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.