◎ Optimisation of the AM process and development of new heat-resistant materials suitable for AM
Research and development is being carried out on the powder-bed method using lasers and electron beams as a three-dimensional additive manufacturing (AM) process. The effects of heat source (laser and electron beam) power, scan speed and hutching width on microstructure and defect distribution, as well as on mechanical properties, are investigated to optimise the process for the target materials, including Ni-based alloys (Hastelloy X, Inconel 738LC) and titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V) and various other material systems are being studied.
　AM technology is expected to bring about a major innovation in manufacturing, but if materials developed for conventional processes are applied directly to AM, problems such as solidification cracking and ductility dip cracking occur. For this reason, it is important to develop new materials optimised for the AM process, and efforts are being made to develop new alloys suitable for AM, targeting Ni-based alloys.

◎ Development of multi-physics simulation technology for AM processes.
In AM, complex-shaped components can be manufactured without the use of mold, but the microstructure and mechanical properties of each part vary due to differences in heat dissipation behaviour depending on the shape. This can result in problems such as a high defect density or the formation of defects larger than a critical size in some areas. To suppress this, it is important to predict the temperature field during the AM process and establish techniques for predicting microstructures, defects and properties based on the temperature field. For this purpose, numerical simulation and data science are being used to develop the technology.