Electron-beam melting systems make it possible to manufacture complex, three-dimensional metal objects automatically and directly from CAD data using an additive process. This makes such systems especially suitable for Industry 4.0 environments. The EBM 30S (Electron Beam Melting) system represents the latest generation of machines from the pro-beam Group, one of the sector’s leading companies. It can be used to quickly and efficiently manufacture small, intricate and high-quality metal components of the sort used in the aviation and aerospace industries, in the medical technology sector and in tool manufacturing. This system employs the powder bed process, in which the powdered metal is added in layers. A high-powered laser beam melts the metal with pinpoint accuracy and thus builds up the component in an additive process, layer by layer. The EBM 30S comprises two functional units: a supply unit/Powercube and a process unit/vacuum chamber. The manufacturing/melting process takes place in the latter unit, which prevents material interference from atmospheric gases, a prerequisite of the electron-beam process. The pro-beam Group has used the styling of this system to draw attention to the introduction of the EBM process into an innovative market while, at the same time, redefining its corporate identity. The development concept focused on user-friendliness which includes optimal access to the electron beam generator via the precision-engineered stairs. The fundamental principles of clarity and an uncluttered configuration ensure ease of use when manufacturing and programming. The vacuum chamber, the “heart” of the system, is brightly coloured, whereas the Powercube with its integrated infrastructure is anthracite grey. In the jury’s opinion, the design of the system reflects the high-precision, high-tech process: “The concept behind the EBM 30S is exemplary in many regards, not least in its useful, logical subdivision of the machine into its constituent parts. This also results in a new aesthetic look which powerfully underscores the innovation of the newly defined process. In addition, the system is of a highly functional construction while the stylistic idiom that is common to all pro-beam products and which represents the brand perfectly has great impact.”
