OptAM: Optimisation of superalloys for additive manufacture using computational methods

The use of additive manufacturing (AM) for metallic components is moving from research to commercial application. However, to date, methods for alloy development have not managed to consider the complex relationship between alloy composition and ease of processing by AM. Instead, legacy alloys, developed for established manufacturing processes, have been manufactured in powder or wire form to fit AM applications. However, long-term success of AM will demand new alloys are designed to alleviate manufacturing issues whilst delivering performance beyond legacy alloys. OxMet Technologies Ltd and its partner, University of Oxford, have developed proprietary 'Alloys-by-Design' software for genomic inspired design of engineering alloys. This project focuses on the application of the Alloys-by-Design technology to accelerate the optimisation of new alloys for metal AM.