Equispheres to establish North American production of APWORKS’ Scalmalloy aluminium alloy
Equispheres, Inc., based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and APWORKS, headquartered in Taufkirchen, Germany, have announced their collaboration on the development of North American production capacity for APWORKS’ Scalmalloy powder, a proprietary high-strength aluminium alloy designed specifically for Additive Manufacturing.
The two companies have entered into a non-binding understanding and are currently exploring avenues for future production, distribution, and technical alignment. They stated that further details will be shared as discussions progress.
Scalmalloy is a patented aluminium-magnesium-scandium alloy developed by APWORKS, a subsidiary of Airbus. The alloy offers mechanical properties comparable to 7000-series aluminium and is engineered for optimal performance in metal AM. Scalmalloy is currently licensed to producers in Europe and Asia, but Equispheres will be the first to establish a North American supply chain, using primarily locally sourced raw materials.
“Scalmalloy will be a great addition to our line of high-performance materials for serial AM,” stated Kevin Nicholds, CEO of Equispheres. “We’re excited to be in discussions with APWORKS about producing this high-strength alloy for aluminium parts. North American supply of critical materials such as aluminium-scandium alloys is a key step toward securing the aerospace supply chain.”
Combining high strength with superior ductility and excellent processability, Scalmalloy is widely used in critical, highly loaded components across aerospace, defence, and motorsport industries.
“Equispheres is a logical choice for expanding Scalmalloy production into North America,” said Jonathan Meyer, CEO of APWORKS. “They are widely regarded for their expertise in producing high-quality aluminium powders for Additive Manufacturing, and their access to domestic sources of aluminium and scandium is an important factor in supply chain resilience in an increasingly uncertain world.”
“Scalmalloy powder made in Equispheres’ North American facility will eliminate many of the adoption barriers that have historically limited the use of this alloy in critical programmes,” added Evan Butler-Jones, Vice-President of Product & Strategy at Equispheres. “By combining the excellent properties of Scalmalloy with our proprietary powder technology, we can deliver an ideal material solution for the most demanding AM applications.”
Equispheres produces optimised aluminium powders that have repeatedly demonstrated the capability to enhance the performance of metal AM processes, supporting faster production, better mechanical properties, and more reliable parts. It also produces aluminium alloy powders from standard alloys, which are said to achieve faster build rates compared with traditional powders, with no adverse effects on mechanical properties.
