A bionic armrest manufactured by Airbus APWorks

LPW Technology Ltd, Runcorn, UK, has formed a strategic partnership with Germany’s Airbus APWorks GmbH to supply its high-performance Scalmalloy® aluminium-magnesium- scandium alloy to the Additive Manufacturing sector.

Ben Ferrar, LPW’s Chief Operating Officer, stated, “Expanding our metal powder range to include Scalmalloy^®, with its high strength, lightweight characteristics, enables manufacturers to access the technological and commercial benefits this proven metal AM alloy has to offer.”

Building on its experience in the aerospace sector, LPW is aligning strategically with internationally recognised APWorks to support the global requirements for high-strength aluminium with Scalmalloy^®.

LPW is accredited to AS 9120A for aerospace, implementing robust quality management processes that assure the integrity of the tightly controlled metal powders it supplies to safety-critical sectors world-wide.

“Compared to all other aerospace aluminium alloys, Scalmalloy® offers a unique level of corrosion resistance, its high strength to weight ratio makes it perfect for light-weighting applications, crucial to optimising the build to use ratio in component design. Scalmalloy® enables the lowest buy-to-fly ratio compared to conventionally designed and manufactured parts,” added Ferrar.

Scalmalloy® is the world’s first material specifically developed for AM and, due to its high cooling rates and rapid solidification, it possesses a unique microstructure which remains stable at high temperatures. It offers exceptionally high fatigue properties, weldability, strength and ductility compared to other aluminium alloy powders, which makes it particularly well-suited to aerospace, transportation and defence applications, among many others.

Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of APWorks, Sven Lauxmann, stated, “Partnering strategically with an AM metal powder specialist such as LPW further strengthens the Scalmalloy^® supply chain, supporting APWorks vision to expand the industrial application of AM technologies and solutions across the sectors. With LPW Technology we have found a reliable and strongly AM focused partner to create an excellent synergy between their significant expertise in the production and global marketing of materials and APWorks’ intensive experience in processing Scalmalloy^® in 3D printing.”

APWorks focuses on designing holistic Additive Manufacturing solutions, from design for AM through to the development of new materials and into prototype or qualified serial production for industries from aerospace to robotics, automotive, mechanical engineering, tooling and medical technology.

Both companies are exhibiting at formnext 2017, Frankfurt, Germany, 14-17 November.

www.lpwtechnolgy.com | www.apworks.de