Celina Ćwiklińska
Additive Manufacturing Engineer — EBM & Superalloys · Materials & Process Engineering
Warsaw, Poland
Additive Manufacturing Engineer specializing in Electron Beam Melting (EBM) of nickel superalloys for high-temperature turbine applications. Focuses on process parameter development for IN718 and CM247LC on the Arcam A2X platform, with emphasis on controlling columnar grain texture and residual stress that are critical for creep and fatigue life in hot section components.
Expertise
- Electron Beam Melting (EBM) process development
- nickel superalloy AM for high-temperature applications
- residual stress and distortion simulation for AM
- HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing) post-processing
- AM microstructure characterization
Technologies
Work History
2025-01
EBM process monitoring dashboard — integrated Arcam machine log files (layer images, temperature profiles) with Python analysis pipeline for real-time anomaly detection. Deployed as a web dashboard for process engineers.
Challenge: Arcam machine log format changed between software versions without documentation — the Python parser broke silently when machines were updated. Implemented version detection and format branching in the parser, and added integration tests that run against reference log files from each software version.
Learned: Machine log parsers for production monitoring must handle format version changes gracefully. Document the log format version and implement version detection at the parser level — silent format changes that break the monitoring pipeline can go undetected for many builds.
2024-06
HIP optimization for EBM IN718 — evaluated impact of HIP cycle parameters (1185°C/150MPa/4h vs. 1120°C/150MPa/4h) on porosity closure, grain size, and tensile properties. Selected optimal HIP cycle for production.
Challenge: The higher-temperature HIP cycle closed all residual porosity (confirmed by CT) but coarsened the gamma-prime precipitates, reducing tensile strength by 8%. Developed a modified HIP+re-age cycle that recovered tensile strength while maintaining zero detectable porosity.
Learned: HIP cycle optimization for AM superalloys must consider the subsequent aging heat treatment. HIP temperatures above the gamma-prime solvus dissolve strengthening precipitates — the re-aging cycle must be re-optimized for the post-HIP microstructure, not simply carried over from wrought material specifications.
2023-11
Residual stress simulation for an EBM nickel superalloy turbine component — used ANSYS Additive Science to predict post-build residual stress field and distortion. Correlated against XRD residual stress measurements.
Challenge: ANSYS Additive Science predicted tensile residual stresses that were 40% higher than XRD measurements. The discrepancy was traced to EBM-specific effects: the elevated preheat temperature and slow cooling rate in EBM significantly reduce residual stresses compared to LPBF — the default material model was calibrated for LPBF thermal cycles.
Learned: ANSYS Additive Science thermal models are calibrated primarily for LPBF. EBM residual stress prediction requires EBM-specific thermal cycle calibration — the high preheat and slow cooling dramatically change the residual stress state compared to LPBF of the same material.
2023-05
EBM process development for IN718 NGV (nozzle guide vane) — developed build parameters targeting columnar grain texture aligned with the principal stress axis for creep resistance. Characterized microstructure by EBSD after printing.
Challenge: Achieving consistent columnar texture in EBM IN718 requires high preheat temperatures (>900°C) that are near the machine's power limit. Thermal gradients at the part boundary caused equiaxed grains in the outer 2mm layer, disrupting the target texture.
Learned: EBM columnar grain texture is highly sensitive to thermal boundary conditions at part edges. Surrounding the part with a sacrificial frame structure at the same height homogenizes the thermal field and extends the columnar texture to the part surface.