Table 2.
Features of SLM and EBM in comparison [86].
| SLM | EBM | |
|---|---|---|
| Powder sources | One or more fiber lasers of 200–1000 W | High power Electron beam of 3000 W |
| Build chamber environment | Argon or Nitrogen | Vacuum/He bleed |
| Method of powder preheating | Platform heating | Preheat scanning |
| Powder preheating temperature (°C) | 100–200 | 700–900 |
| Maximum available build volume (mm) | 500 × 350 × 300 | 350 × 380 (diameter × length) |
| Maximum build rate (cm3/h) | 20–35 | 80 |
| Layer Thickness (mm) | 0.020–0.100 | 0.050–0.200 |
| Melt pool size (mm) | 0.1–0.5 | 0.2–1.2 |
| Surface finish (Ra) | 4–11 | 25–35 |
| Geometric tolerance (mm) | ±0.05–0.1 | ±0.2 |
| Minimum feature size | 40–200 | 100 |