MET 401: Metal & Composite Printing

Metal additive manufacturing sits at the technological peak of the AM family. This course examines the three core processes – SLM, EBM and DED – with the depth required for real industrial decisions.

What you will learn

• The physics of laser and electron-beam metal powder melting
• SLM, EBM and DED compared on productivity and quality
• Metal powders – atomization, morphology, particle size
• Supports in metal printing – why they are critical and how they are removed
• Heat treatment – HIP, stress relief, solution annealing
• Defects – porosity, lack of fusion, residual stresses
• Quality control – CT scan, ultrasound, metallography

Course outline

• Lesson 1: What makes metal AM different
• Lesson 2: SLM/LPBF – machine anatomy and parameters
• Lesson 3: EBM – vacuum, preheat, large parts
• Lesson 4: DED – wire-arc and laser powder, repairs and large parts
• Lesson 5: Metal powder – quality and storage
• Lesson 6: DfAM for metal – supports, draining, post-processing
• Lesson 7: Heat treatment and final geometry
• Lesson 8: Certification – aerospace, medical, industrial

Prerequisites

A strong AM foundation, with at least course-pbf301-powder-bed and course-dfam301-topology-opt completed. Basic mechanical knowledge of metal heat treatment is desirable.

Outcome

You evaluate metal AM projects against real production readiness, communicate effectively with metallurgical engineers, and make well-reasoned decisions between SLM, EBM and DED.

Who it is for

Senior engineers in aerospace, medical and automotive industries, R&D directors, and production certification specialists.