Desktop Metal qualifies Inconel 625 on Shop System
September 14, 2022
Desktop Metal, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has announced that nickel alloy Inconel 625 has been qualified on its Shop System metal binder jet machine. This marks the material’s qualification across Desktop Metal’s entire portfolio, spanning Production System and X-series models, as well as the Studio System.
“Manufacturers looking to produce complex geometries in IN625 now have a one-stop shop for efficient Additive Manufacturing 2.0 production,” stated Ric Fulop, founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “IN625 is a very difficult material to machine, but our technology truly makes it easy. We are proud of the work our world-leading material and process teams have done ensuring that this popular material can be offered across our portfolio.”
IN625 is a high-performance nickel alloy known for high levels of strength, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance — making it a popular material choice for applications in the aerospace, chemical processing, and offshore energy industries.
However, IN625’s strength is what makes it a difficult and expensive material to machine into complex shapes. The process typically requires a skilled machinist and special CNC cutting tools, strategies and coolants to shape – and it’s not uncommon for cutting tools to be broken or deformed when milling Inconel stock, or for the material to deform when the outer layer hardens too quickly in response to machining, explains Desktop Metal.
