thyssenkrupp Materials UK launches new metal AM services
September 16, 2021
thyssenkrupp Materials UK, headquartered in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, and part of Germany’s thyssenkrupp AG, reports that it has launched a new metal Additive Manufacturing product and service offering to supply metal powders and provide post-build services. The company plans to showcase the new service at the TCT 3Sixty event in Birmingham, UK, September 28–30.
thyssenkrupp has appointed Nigel Evans as Business Development Director, a role which will see him lead the new metal AM program. Evans is reported to have vast experience in providing thorough support to customers within the aerospace, defence and machining industries.
“With the rapid growth of metal Additive Manufacturing, we have recognised as a business that we are in an advantageous position to support our customers with their newly set-up additive supply chains,” stated Evans. “Our high-quality metal powders are covering a wide range of applications, making them the ideal material for developing prototypes, short run manufacturing and complex one-off designs.”
thyssenkrupp Materials UK offers a selection of metal powders that include stainless steel, aluminium, titanium and nickel-base alloys. Additionally, the company has a wide range of modification capabilities with regard to alloy structure, atomisation and subsequent powder processing that allow it to manufacture and supply custom powders in batches from 50 kg.
The company is further supporting the metal AM supply chain with a post-build service offering, using the company’s in-house technology and enabling a simpler and more efficient production process. This allows thyssenkrupp Materials UK to oversee the entire AM thread – from the initial part model and material selection to the verified finished part, working closely with the customer.
Evans added, “Producing metal 3D printed parts often requires additional industrial processes, which thyssenkrupp Materials UK has years of experience with. Manufacturers still encounter challenges with these post-build processes, which can cause inefficiencies and increased labour costs. What is more, a lack of expertise in post-build processes can cause part-to-part variation or other quality issues.”
“At thyssenkrupp Materials UK, we offer a full post-build CNC machining and turning service on all additive manufactured metal parts to ensure product performance as per the design. We own the longest CNC machining centre in the UK as well as CNC vertical bed mills. This allows us to process even large-scale pieces, with a maximum weight of 30 tonnes and up to 1,150 mm thick and 2,20 0mm wide. With our efficient machinery and an expert technical team, we can guarantee consistency in every one of our workpieces. For our clients, this means a better and more consistent performance of their end product and increased efficiency in delivery.”
Having a network of sites across the UK, operated by thyssenkrupp Materials UK, there is capacity and the capability to produce both complex prototypes and low-volume production runs of additively manufactured metal parts, with various surface finishes. Furthermore, with an optimised logistics system, centrally manufactured metal powders and some 480 sites worldwide, the business can additionally support global customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive and medical, whose supply chains are geographically complex.
