Electron beam melting in biomedical manufacturing

Electron beam melting (EBM) is an additive manufacturing technique that uses an electron beam to selectively fuse and consolidate the metal powder. The final object is built up layer-by-layer according to a computer-aided design or, in case of customized biomedical implants, according to a computed tomography of the patient. This chapter introduces the basic concepts of EBM and the advantages and limitations of applying this technique in biomedical manufacturing. Subsequently, the chapter is describing the processing steps of EBM, the consolidation mechanisms, and the potential microstructural defects of the finished parts. A thorough discussion is provided about the EBM capability of producing cellular structures, dental implants, and orthopedic prostheses, with an emphasis on customized parts. The chapter closes with a survey of the challenges and the future developments of EBM to fabricate biomedical devices.