Kennametal becomes GE Additive Beta Partner to advance Binder Jetting capabilities in tungsten carbide
May 18, 2022
GE Additive has announced that Kennametal Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, is the latest member of its Beta Partner Programme. As part of the GE Additive Programme, Kennametal will further advance its Binder Jetting (BJT) production capabilities in tungsten carbide, as it continues to scale its end-to-end metal Additive Manufacturing operations.
Kennametal offers a complete Additive Manufacturing solution, from high-performance metal powders through to the production of additively manufactured components and tooling. Its metal AM parts have already gained wide customer adoption across a variety of industries, such as oil & gas, energy, industrial processing and transportation.
Kennametal will work with GE Additive to identify, design and scale specific applications for serial production on GE’s Binder Jetting system, leveraging Kennametal’s proprietary cemented tungsten carbide materials.
“Customers are increasingly seeking our 3D-printed tungsten carbide and Stellite [cobalt chrome alloy] solutions to help them maximise their productivity in challenging applications when wear and corrosion resistance are critical,” stated Jay Verellen, General Manager, Kennametal Additive Manufacturing. “Our work with GE Additive on Binder Jet solutions will enable further scaling of our operations to meet strong customer demand—and extend our leadership in proprietary material solutions for additive.”
GE Additive is continuing to develop its Binder Jetting solution to make Additive Manufacturing a reality for serial production, targeting millions of parts per year and beyond. Key to that development is ongoing, hands-on input from members of GE Additive’s Binder Jet Beta Partner Programme.
“By hands-on, we don’t mean tinkering or experimenting. We work closely with our beta customers as they develop their own, real-world business cases, applications and parts. To them, it is important that our solution is not only mature and scalable but is capable, complete and aligns to their product innovation strategies and meets production volume needs,” added Brian Birkmeyer, product line leader for Binder Jet at GE Additive.
“We are honoured that Kennametal, an industry leader in 3D-printed tungsten carbide, is working closely with us on the development of our Binder Jet platform. Ensuring we align with Kennametal’s production expectations and requirements is a top priority. Their longstanding expertise in materials science mirrors our own, and our team is excited to work together to deliver new and innovative solutions,” concluded Birkmeyer.
