How Wayland Additive is pushing the boundaries of manufacturing for the defence and aerospace industries

Wayland Additive brings a new level of process stability and material freedom to metal additive manufacturing with NeuBeam® technology. It combines the benefits of electron beam with charge neutralization to eliminate the typical limitations of traditional EB-PBF/EBM - namely charge build-up, the need for extensive powder bed pre-baking and the resulting limitations of printable materials. For aerospace and defense, this means lighter, stronger and more temperature resistant parts with higher repeatability and productivity.

NeuBeam® vs. EBM and L-PBF: what's really changing

Conventional EB-PBF (EBM) tends to require high preheating and pre-baking of the powder layer; L-PBF/SLM is limited by temperature gradients and sensitivity to laser reflectivity/absorption. NeuBeam® actively suppresses powder charging, widens the process window and reduces residual stresses and the risk of deformation in thin-walled and long elements - crucial for UAV structures, heat exchangers, aerodynamic and engine components.

Calibur3®: parameters for critical applications

The Calibur3® production system offers a build volume of 300 × 300 × 450 mm, a typical layer thickness of 50-90 µm, a footprint diameter of ~150 µm (W cathode; LaB₆ ~100 µm), an electron source up to 5 kW / 60 kV and process temperatures up to around 1000 °C (depending on material and setup). This combination enables both large one-piece parts and highly stressed detailed parts with controlled microstructure - with a more stable sintering area and without the need for pre-baking the powder bed.

Materials for defence and aerospace: from titanium to tungsten

The wider NeuBeam® process window opens the way to challenging alloys and refractory metals. For example, tungsten (W) - the metal with the highest melting temperature of 3422 °C, strategic for hypersonics, nuclear and defence applications (heat shields, collimators, EM/RF elements) - has been qualified in cooperation with partners. Titanium and nickel superalloys (Inconel) or copper for parts with high thermal and electrical conductivity requirements are also proven.

What this means for qualified parts

• Lower residual stresses and less susceptibility to cracking in thin-walled and long parts → higher yield of aerostructures and functional engine parts.
• Higher productivity due to large volume of 300 × 300 × 450 mm and printing without pre-baking of the powder bed → fewer steps, shorter time from prototype to pilot series.
• Expanded material range including tungsten → new design options for aerospace/defense (heat, erosion/ablation, radiation resistance).

Implementation: from R&D to production

Experiences from industry and research show that charge-neutral electron beam powder melting is ready for both materials development and production deployment - from parameter qualification to NDT/CT inspection to small batch ramp-up. Emphasis on in-process monitoring and open modes for powder/alloy development shortens parametric window closure and accelerates part certification.

"The neutralization of electrostatic powder charging and greater process temperature margin give aerospace and defense engineers greater freedom in design and production - especially for thin-walled and highly thermally stressed parts. "

Matyáš Chaloupka, 3Dees Industries

Typical applications

• Aerospace: lightweight lattice segments, integrated heat exchangers, functional engine parts - goals: lower weight, higher temperature resistance, fewer joints.
• UAV / Defense: structural nodes with controlled cooling, EM/RF components, tungsten elements for extreme heat flux and ablative resistance.

Key Metrics (for quick technical comparison)

• Build volume: 300 × 300 × 450 mm (Calibur3®)
• Layer thickness: typ.
• 50-90 µm
• Electron beam footprint diameter: ~150 µm (typical)
• Power supply: up to 5 kW / 60 kV
• Process temperatures: up to ~1000 °C (depending on material/parameters)
• Materials: Ti, Inconel/Ni-superalloys, Cu, W (refractory materials)

Conclusion

For the defense and aerospace industries, Wayland Additive with NeuBeam® offers a practically feasible path to parts that were previously out of reach: thin-walled, temperature-resistant and geometrically complex components in challenging alloys and refractory metals - with stable process and scaling to 300 × 300 × 450 mm. Where L-PBF encounters temperature gradients and traditional EBM powder charging, NeuBeam® delivers the stability, flexibility and material "sovereignty" that aerospace & defense need for the next generation of platforms.