Freemelt Partners with Loughborough University to Advance Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion Alloy Development

Freemelt, based in Mölndal, Sweden, has entered a research collaboration with Loughborough University in the United Kingdom to explore the capabilities of electron beam powder bed fusion (E-PBF) for developing next-generation alloys. The partnership focuses on leveraging the high-temperature processing environment inherent to E-PBF systems, such as the Freemelt ONE, to overcome the limitations of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) when handling crack-prone or high-reflectivity materials. By utilizing the open-source software architecture of the Freemelt ONE, researchers at Loughborough aim to optimize process parameters for advanced metallic compositions that are currently difficult to process via standard laser-based systems. This collaboration provides the university with direct access to machine-level control, facilitating the creation of new material data sets for industrial applications.

This partnership addresses a critical bottleneck in the metal additive manufacturing sector: the restricted library of printable alloys available for high-performance applications. While LPBF remains the dominant technology for metal AM, its rapid cooling rates and thermal gradients often lead to residual stress and cracking in complex alloys. E-PBF systems offer a distinct advantage by maintaining a high-temperature build chamber, which acts as an in-situ heat treatment to mitigate these issues. As the industry moves toward specialized applications in aerospace and energy, the ability to qualify non-standard alloys is a key competitive differentiator. Freemelt is positioning itself as a provider of open-architecture hardware, targeting research institutions and material developers who require granular control over the build process, contrasting with the closed-ecosystem models of major incumbents like GE Additive or Velo3D.

For Freemelt, this collaboration serves as a validation of its open-source business model in the academic and R&D sector. The practical utility of this work depends on the successful translation of these lab-scale alloy developments into repeatable, industrial-grade process parameters. Users should evaluate this development based on the specific material properties achieved and whether the resulting data can be effectively scaled to larger production-grade E-PBF platforms.