Effect of Build Orientation in Electron Beam Melting of Ti-6Al-4V Specimens

There are many factors influencing the final microstructure of additively manufactured parts. In Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) processes like Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM), one of such factors is a build orientation of a part. To investigate an effect of the part orientation a set of samples have been manufactured via the EBM. The microstructure and microhardness characterization showed that vertical orientation of the components could be preferable if homogeneity of mechanical properties is critical for the particular application, but it may increase the manufacturing time.