Arcam AB fka AMAVF

[Nobahamas]

Designing for Additive Manufacturing
http://www.3dmpmag.com/magazine/article.asp?aid=11343

An article (part one)from Caitlin Oswald.
With some do's and don'ts for 3D-print designers and production engineers.
For us it is helpful to understand which parts are best suited for EBM.

Negative:

Small internal channels to transport gasses or fluids inside the printed object (that cannot be drilled later) are not easily cleaned because of the sintered powder inside.

smoothness inside or outside the printed part; with EBM more sanding / polishing is needed.

Positive:

EBM is designed to print faster and cheaper than SLM, and has a better microstructure.
Bigger and solid parts are faster and cheaper printed by EBM
Printed parts are more easily removed from the baseplate (because of adding support structures that will easily loosen)
Stacking is done more easily, so the builded parts per cycle is much higher.
Less support structures by building complex parts means less surface machining.

My conclusion:
EBM is the best choice for complex construction parts that have to withstand heavy loads (i.e. brackets), and don't need a fine finish (inside or outside).
EBM is a good choice for construction parts that have to withstand heavy loads, and need a fine outside surface, when the outside is easily finished by machining (turbine blades)

p.s. I would invent an ultrasonic (water / sharp sand) cleaning system to remove the sintered particles inside the formed channels of the EBM produced parts.