NATEP to fund development of advanced aluminium powder for metal Additive Manufacturing
April 19, 2018
A group of companies led by Aeromet International has been awarded funding from the UK’s National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) to the further development of A20X, an aluminium powder for metal Additive Manufacturing.
As part of the High Strength Aluminium Powder for Additive Manufacture (HighSAP) project, Aeromet, along with partners Renishaw, Rolls-Royce and PSI, are currently working to further develop A20X alloy for use in AM and to produce a set of demonstrator parts.
NATEP, an Aerospace Growth Partnership initiative, is an industry-led programme which aims to support British companies in the aerospace supply chain to develop innovative technologies.
Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet, stated, “We are very pleased to have been awarded NATEP funding for this exciting project. By working with our partners, we hope to further develop our powder technology and create a new option for high strength additive manufactured parts. NATEP is a great way for innovative companies to come together to develop cutting edge technologies.”
A20X is a family of high-strength aluminium alloy technologies developed and patented by Aeromet. As an aluminium-copper alloy with a highly-refined microstructure and a unique solidification mechanism, which is said to give it greater strength, fatigue and thermal characteristics compared to other alloys.
