Fabrication of thin-walled fusion blanket components like flow channel inserts by selective laser melting

New manufacturing methods for the production of key components for nuclear fusion reactors by selective laser melting (SLM) are currently under investigation at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. SLM offers great potential compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Within the framework of feasibility studies, complex 3D structures, such as a thin- and double-walled flow channel inserts (FCIs) for dual-coolant lead lithium (DCLL) blankets, were successfully manufactured and subjected to preliminary tests. The paper shows that fabrication of thin-walled FCIs by the SLM technique is feasible in principle. The complexity of the fabrication process is outlined and application of the SLM technique for production of other fusion blanket sub-components, such as thin-walled cooling plates with internal cooling channels, is addressed.