Sandvik to showcase latest range of metal powders at Formnext 2024
November 12, 2024
Sandvik AB, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has announced it will showcase the latest additions to its range of metal powders at this year’s Formnext. These will include the recently launched copper-based C18150 as well as tool steel HWTS 50. Both tool steel and copper-based products will be demonstrated by the company’s team of material specialists.
“We are gearing up for another exciting participation at Formnext,” stated Luke Harris, Sales Director in metal powder at Sandvik. “At Hall 11, booth E32, you can discover the latest additions to our metal powder portfolio, including copper-based C18150, GrCop42, as well as tool and high-speed steels HWTS 50 and MAR 55. Make sure to stop by – we’re excited to dive into all things metal powder and discuss AM customer cases with you.”
Osprey HWTS 50 is a lean hot-work tool steel characterised by a lower carbon content compared with those of medium-carbon hot work tool steels (~0.22 wt.% vs ~0.4 wt.%) and modifications to the carbide-forming elements which ensures a comparable – or even enhanced – tempering resistance despite lower carbon wt.%.
HWTS 50 has been developed primarily for laser-based Additive Manufacturing process due to its enhanced printability but is also available for Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) and Metal Injection Molding (MIM).
Also on show at the Sandvik booth will be its copper based powders. Manufactured in-house, both pure and in a variety of alloyed variants, the material allows for greater control over factors such as thermal and electrical performance, size, shape, and weight of end components. The Osprey copper alloys are available in fine as well as medium-sized particle sizes. It is optimised for high thermal and electrical conductivity, which results in improved heat transfer and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matching.
To further demonstrate Sandvik’s capabilities, a variety of finished customer components will also be on display. One of these is an e-bike bracket additively manufactured in coarse titanium powder.
Sandvik’s customer, GSD Global, wanted to add the material advantages of titanium to its high-end e-bikes. However, titanium parts are very difficult and costly to machine using CNC. Sandvik presented a solution that proved not only financially feasible but also enabled substantial improvement in terms of quality and energy efficiency.
Mikael Schuisky, Business Development Manager in metal powder at Sandvik, explained, “The manufacturing process used in this case, involving coarse titanium, offers substantial cost and time savings. It not only reduces the material cost by more than 40%. It also decreases the build time to a third compared to a standard 30 micro layer process. This is achieved while maintaining the mechanical properties.”
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