If complex-shaped components can be directly printed onto products or other components using the Powder Bed Fusion process, an additive manufacturing method, creation of a wider range of applications can be expected. However, the conventional Powder Bed Fusion process is limited in its applications because building on curved surfaces or large components that do not fit inside a build chamber is difficult. Therefore, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. has been working on the development of a chamber-free Powder Bed Fusion process that enables additive manufacturing on large structural components outside a chamber, and has evaluated its practicality by assessing build accuracy and material properties, in addition to conducting build verification on components that simulate actual machine parts.
