Equispheres’ aluminium qualified for 3D Systems’ DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 AM machines
November 19, 2024
At Formnext 2024, Equispheres, Inc, based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has entered into a supplier agreement with 3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA, which will enable the use of Equispheres’ North-American-made aluminium powder with 3D Systems’ DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines.
During testing, results were said to show that it is possible to achieve up to 50% productivity gains and an average density of 99.8% with a build rate of 49.7 cc/hr at 60 µm layer thickness on the DMP Flex 350. The addition of Equispheres’ Al is expected to allow customers to explore faster build speeds when producing automotive and aerospace parts (e.g. lighter brackets and supports, heat exchangers, and passive RF hardware.)
“We are very excited about this supplier agreement with a partner that has such deep knowledge of 3D printing. Our materials print significantly faster than traditional aluminium powders, which dramatically lowers part production time and per-part costs,” stated Evan Butler-Jones, Vice President — Product & Strategy for Equispheres. “When combined with 3D Systems’ expertise in applications and its DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 printers, customers can expect to push past previous limitations related to speed and repeatability.”
“We are pleased to enter this supplier agreement with a North American company such as Equispheres,” said Marty Johnson, vice president, product & technical fellow, 3D Systems. “As a leading Additive Manufacturing solutions provider, we value the opportunity to work with up-and-coming companies. Equispheres has developed an interesting material that enables 3D Systems’ customers to produce high quality parts when used with our DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 printers. We look forward to seeing how this can help push the boundaries for production applications.”
Aluminium is valued in Additive Manufacturing for its light weight and heat transfer capabilities. The consistent size and characteristics of Equispheres’ powders aim to ensure consistent mechanical properties, making it well suited to applications requiring high levels of precision and repeatability, including in sectors such as automotive production, aerospace, defence and energy.
