High-strength alloys - essential for additive manufacturing!

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Huge potential for high-strength alloys

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Alloys such as bronze and steel have been used by mankind for thousands of years to increase the mechanical performance and strength of components and tools.

In the additive manufacturing industry, high-strength alloys hold enormous potential as alternatives to established standard materials such as AlSi10Mg and Ti6Al4V.

In addition to the aviation-proven aluminum-based alloy A205, ECKART TLS also presents the high-strength titanium alloys Ti6242, Ti6246 and Ti-5553.

Dr. Ulrich Schmidt and Dr. Moritz Roscher, Business Line Functional Applications, explain the key areas in which we are expanding our portfolio of high-strength Al- and Ti-based alloys for additive manufacturing:

Schmidt: "Following the acquisition of the British company Aluminum Materials Technologies Ltd (AMT), we were able to successfully position ourselves on the AM market as a developer and supplier of A20X. A20X is a lightweight aluminum-based powder derived from the aerospace approved (MMPDS) A205 alloy."

Since it is one of the most widely used AM processes, it made sense for us to develop high-strength aluminum alloys that are compatible with Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). The problem is that the susceptibility of conventional high-strength aluminum alloys to hot cracking and generally poor processability have made it difficult to use high-strength aluminum alloys in the laser powder bed fusion process.

"With the help of our A20X, we were able to develop a product solution," says Roscher. The unique chemical composition of A20X contains ceramic TiB2 particles that modify the solidification mechanism, resulting in a completely fine-grained microstructure. "The material is not susceptible to solidification cracking and can be processed on any commercially available LPBF machine."

The picture above shows a racing car part from a Formula student car. This part was deliberately printed with A20X powder as it has exceptional mechanical properties that allow it to be used as a critical component, especially as a wheel carrier.

Processing with other AM technologies possible

We are now working hard to enable processing with other AM technologies as well. Currently, LPBF is the main method for processing A20X. However, A20X has been successfully used for laser-based DED (Direct Energy Deposition) in feasibility studies.

"We are actively promoting the use of A20X in DED applications, as we are convinced that its properties are also perfectly suited to this area of application," say the experts.

Cost and recyclability are still important factors for AM users. All options are being explored to reduce the final cost of the 3D printed part and get the best out of every AM system.

„The properties of our material allow the residual material to be reused at the end of production.”

Dr. Moritz Roscher

Manager Additive Manufacturing - Alloys

Both Schmidt and Roscher confirm that the A20X powder is reusable, provided that critical parameters such as the oxygen content or the removal of brittle particles from the LPBF process are taken into account.

There is no general guideline, as the entire individual printing process must be taken into account. Scientific projects on the use of surplus A20X powder show that there are ways, such as the FAST process, to successfully recycle the material.

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High-performance titanium alloys from ECKART

"When it comes to aluminum alloys, ECKART's strength is the well-known A20X alloy - a unique material with aviation approval. At the Formnext trade fair, we presented high-strength titanium alloys such as Ti-5-5-5-3, Ti-6-2-4-2 or Ti-6-2-4-6 for the first time, which are characterized by their mechanical performance," say Schmidt and Roscher.

Titanium alloys often require complex casting and thermomechanical processes to achieve the high strength required for some critical applications. Thanks to its capabilities, L-PBF remains one of the technologies that can enable the production of these sought-after strong and thermally stable 3D printed parts from commercially available titanium alloys.

With decades of experience in the production of pure, spherical and irregular aluminum powders, zinc and copper-based metal powders and various titanium alloys, ECKART is a reliable and experienced supplier to the AM industry.

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Capacity expansions in planning

Despite a difficult market environment characterized by strong price fluctuations, supply chain and raw material bottlenecks around the world, the metal powder segments are benefiting from the above-average growth of the AM industry, according to industry insiders. In order to keep pace with the growing markets, ECKART is already considering capacity expansions for its AM powders.