Additive manufacturing techniques for EH36 steels: Challenges and future directions

Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the fabrication of metallic components, offering significant advantages in design flexibility, material efficiency, and process customization. EH36 steel, a high-strength, low-alloy material, is widely used in the marine and offshore industries due to its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. While AM presents a promising avenue for advancing the application of EH36 steel, several research gaps persist. This review provides a comprehensive overview of AM techniques applicable to EH36 steel, including powder bed fusion using a laser beam, direct energy deposition using a laser beam, and direct energy deposition using an electric arc. Key challenges in integrating additive manufactured (AMed) components with traditionally manufactured parts, such as optimizing interfaces in hybrid components and applying AM for in situ repair of large-scale marine structures, are examined, emphasizing their potential to significantly reduce costs and downtime. The review further addresses the critical need for standardization and certification of AMed EH36 steel components while proposing future research directions focused on advanced numerical simulations, digital twin technologies, and machine learning-driven process optimization to enhance their performance and reliability.