Does NASA’s EBF3 system cause any residual stress during electron-beam deposition?
In running the EBF3 system, NASA researchers have encountered residual stresses and distortion in the baseplate. If the baseplate is sacrificial (i.e., removed during post-processing), such stresses and distortion are not an issue very little stress is observed in the deposited material itself. However, for baseplates that remain attached to the part, the stress extends about 0.25 in. (6.35 mm) from the deposit location. The extent of the stress is affected by the e-beam heating parameters as well as the deposition rate. Research is underway to understand and mitigate these stresses.
