Patent attributes
A method of manufacturing a component using electron beam melting includes providing a powder layer; selectively melting at least a part of the powder layer so as to generate a solid layer of the component using a first electron beam; identifying any defects in the solid layer by scanning the solid layer using a second electron beam; and then repeating these steps at least once so as to build up a shape corresponding to the component. The second electron beam has a lower power than the first electron beam. The method may also include steps of removing any identified defects in the solid layer by using the first electron beam to re-melt at least a part of the solid layer, and adjusting one or more parameters of the selective melting step so as to avoid future recurring defects based on stored data relating to the scanned solid layer.
