Additive Manufacturing
COMMON CHALLENGES
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is revolutionizing industries by enabling the creation of complex geometries, lightweight structures, and customized components. As adoption grows across aerospace, medical, automotive, and consumer sectors, so does the need for improved performance, reliability, and scalability.
To meet these demands, researchers and engineers must address key challenges, such as material consistency, mechanical integrity, surface finish, and residual stress. These performance metrics are influenced by fundamental factors like microstructure evolution, thermal gradients, phase transformations, and build orientation.
Understanding the relationships between process parameters and material properties is essential. Characterizing features such as grain structure, porosity, and elemental distribution provides critical insights into how additive processes affect the final part’s strength, durability, and functionality.
INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES
Several techniques are available to better characterize and understand crucial material property relationships in additively manufactured materials.
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Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) Allows detailed microstructural analysis by mapping crystal orientations, phases, and grain boundaries, helping researchers understand material properties, deformation, and failure mechanisms at the microscale. |
Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) Facilitates rapid, reliable elemental analysis by detecting characteristic x-rays emitted from a sample, allowing researchers to identify and quantify major, minor, and trace elements across a wide range of materials. |
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Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) Delivers atomic-scale insights into elemental composition and chemical bonding—enabling a deeper understanding of material properties to advance fundamental research and discovery. Includes energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). Elevate your EELS at EELS.info. |
Delivers high-resolution visualization of biological and inorganic specimens, enabling researchers to study ultrastructure, material growth, and failure mechanisms with exceptional clarity. |
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Captures real-time nanoscale dynamics under controlled stimuli to uncover fundamental mechanisms and accelerate scientific discovery. |
Integrated SEM Combines EDS, EBSD, CL, BSE, and WDS into unified platforms—delivering comprehensive, high-resolution insights that streamline workflows and deepen understanding of complex materials. |
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Micro x-ray fluorescence (Micro-XRF) Delivers high-resolution, non-destructive elemental analysis—ideal for layered, sensitive, or irregular samples. |
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