PyroGenesis increases its titanium powder production rates at lower costs

April 26, 2019

News
April 26, 2019

PyroGenesis Canada Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a designer, developer and manufacturer of plasma atomised metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, reports that it has now produced titanium powder on its new NexGen™ Plasma Atomization System with production rates in excess of 25 kg/h.

According to the company, these increased production rates were achieved with lower operating (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX) costs, while maintaining all of the characteristics demanded by the metal Additive Manufacturing industry, such as oxygen content, flowability, density, etc. Of note, this increased production rate was achieved at lower OPEX per hour, resulting in significant cost-per-kilogram savings.

“A limiting factor in titanium adoption in the marketplace has been its cost,” explained Massimo Dattilo, Vice President of PyroGenesis Additive. “By lowering the cost of a typically expensive product, NexGen has opened the door to other markets and applications which, until now, found titanium to be too expensive to utilise.”

“We expect that the NexGen price reduction will drive an increased adoption of PyroGenesis’ powders into new markets and applications where the higher cost of plasma atomised powders was typically restrictive,” he continued.

The increased production rate and lower cost of powder production on the NexGen unit is also expected to make it possible for PyroGenesis to produce new materials, via plasma atomisation, that have typically been cost restrictive.

“As a result of NexGen’s game-changing advantages, there is now an opportunity for the Additive Manufacturing industry to start experimenting with other materials which can now be produced economically with the NexGen Plasma Atomization System,” Dattilo added. “Essentially, NexGen™ will allow PyroGenesis to convert low-value materials to high-quality powder that, until now, have been deemed to be too expensive to produce.”

“In addition to a significant reduction in OPEX, the NexGen technology also boasts significant CAPEX reductions,” stated P Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “The CAPEX reductions occur on two fronts: (i) the reactor itself has been simplified compared to conventional plasma atomisation resulting in lower fabrication costs and, (ii) given the increased production rate, the number of reactors and associated service equipment required has been reduced by up to a factor of four.”

“This is a clear advantage over anyone using our legacy technology,” he continued. “We are now in a rush to incorporate these advantages into our current production process before it is frozen during audits by aerospace clients. The production process is typically frozen by an aerospace end-user as a condition for contracting powder long-term.”

www.pyrogenesis.com

News
April 26, 2019

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Back to the future: A decade of Additive Manufacturing innovation and growth at Materials Solutions
  • Win or lose: A CEO’s reflections on Artificial Intelligence and Additive Manufacturing
  • AMS 2025 New York: A reality check for the Additive Manufacturing industry
  • Optimising powder removal in PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing: A Digital Twin approach
  • ValCUN’s MMD: A robust, wire-based aluminium AM technology for defence and industrial applications
  • Enhancing quality and reliability in metal Additive Manufacturing: The role of laser calibration

TRUSTED CONTENT. TARGETED AUDIENCE

Advertise with Metal AM and access a global base of 50,000+ AM professionals.

Contact Jon Craxford: [email protected]

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap