BMT Additive receives facility certification by DNV for its Electron Beam Melting Process

6 April, 2023

Following the success of ProGRAM JIP Phase II, BMT Additive initiated the “facility and build process” qualification with DNV. Standardization and certification are the pathway to mass adoption of Additive Manufacturing. With the added confidence by a well-respected institution as DNV, we are highly optimistic that OEMs and end users in Energy & Maritime industries will see EBM processes as a viable route for industrial deployment.

We are the first company to receive the facility and build process qualification by DNV for EBM process. This certification from DNV is a nice addition to our already existing EN9100 and NADCAP quality certificates.

DNV certificate

What is the Electron Beam Powder bed fusion process?

It’s one of the main powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes, along with laser. Electron-beam melting (EBM) involves the use of high energy electrons (3 kW) under full vacuum atmosphere to manufacture complex engineering parts layer by layer from the powder material. High purity level in the parts, minimized thermal deformation and high productivity of the process are the reasons for BMT Additive to choose this process over other techniques.

The material that is currently used in this process is Titanium Grade 5 alloy. Titanium Grade 5 alloy, also known as Ti-6Al-4V, is a commonly used alloy in additive manufacturing, particularly in the aerospace and medical industries, due to its high strength, low density, and excellent corrosion resistance. Titanium is highly reactive and can form a thick oxide layer when exposed to air or high temperatures

What does DNV stand for?

DNV stands for Det Norske Veritas, a Norway based company that is specialized in research and certification, it is highly active and respected in Energy, Oil & Gas and Maritime industries with offices in more than 70 countries. Along with their certification services, DNV leads multinational joint industry process for Additive Manufacturing and Digital Warehouse initiations which gives them a fairly broad industrial and academic knowledge and expertise in various technologies.

Why are these certificates so important?

Standardization and certifications is the pathway for mass production with additive manufacturing, Aerospace fully believes this is the key to success.

“Congratulations to BMT Aerospace for being first in the world DNV qualified manufacturer in Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) Technology to AMC 2 level for Oil & Gas and Energy applications.

We are very pleased that BMT Aerospace for choosing DNV as your independent advisor for Qualification of Manufacturer service according to DNV service specification DNV-SE-0568 & DNV-ST-B203 standards. Through our rigorous qualification process that includes facility audit and production of test parts we are impressed with BMT Aerospace’s knowledge, expertise, and impeccable commitment to quality and to continuously improve operational excellence through innovation.”

said Dr. Sastry Kandukur, Global Practice Lead on Additive Manufacturing at DNV.