Uniformity Labs adds UniFuse IN625 to expand serial production
May 1, 2023
Uniformity Labs, Fremont, California, USA, has announced the availability of its UniFuse™ IN625 nickel alloy along with optimised parameters for Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing at 60 µm layer thickness with machines equipped with 400 W lasers. The powder can also be manufactured under typical scan parameters, at different layer thicknesses and laser power, as well as improved mechanical properties or increased laser speed and throughput.
In one example build of a part typically additively manufactured in Inconel 625, Uniformity High-Performance Scanning (HPS) parameters at 60 µm layer thickness and 370 W power reportedly achieved a 2.1 X faster exposure time and comparable or superior mechanical properties compared to competitors’ 40 µm layer thickness scan strategies targeting best-in-class mechanical properties.
The higher tap density and optimised particle size distribution of Uniformity’s multimodal powers are said to result in a highly uniform, denser powder bed, yielding more repeatable part builds at the highest throughput. This, it is stated, enables customers to utilise Uniformity powders to produce parts with improved mechanical properties whilst being processed at higher build rates.
“We continue to demonstrate outsized value to our customers, harmonising AM materials and processes to deliver production-scale Additive Manufacturing,” stated Adam Hopkins, Uniformity founder and CEO. “Our powders deliver repeatable mechanical properties and surface finish uniformly across the print bed even when printing at throughputs that greatly exceed those possible with other powders. Our No Compromise approach to AM enables our customers to realise cost-effective serial production.”
Uniformity Labs states that it is working to address the industry’s challenge of economically achieving serial production in AM by developing and producing its advanced ultra-low porosity metal powder feedstock. Currently in production under the product brands UniFuse™ (for PBF-LB) and UniJet™ (for Binder Jetting), and with its High-Performance Scanning strategies, Uniformity Labs is reputed to have improved the ability to produce high-quality parts, repeatedly, at scale, which, in turn, allows Additive Manufacturing to become a better-established serial production tool.
This announcement follows the recent availability of a range of steel, aluminium, and titanium powders under the UniFuse and UniJet brands, bringing the company’s material portfolio to thirteen powders.
Properties for the as-built IN625 material are listed below:
- 60 um layer thickness, 400 W
- 99.98% density • Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm z bar) – 948 ± 8 MPa
- Ultimate Tensile Strength (Rm xy bar) – 1039 ± 9 MPa
- Yield Strength (Rp0.2 z bar) – 585 ± 11 MPa
- Yield Strength (Rp0.2 xy bar) – 695 ± 26 MPa
- Fracture Elongation (A z bar) – 47 ± 4
- Fracture Elongation (A xy bar) – 40 ± 6
- Surface roughness in the z direction, no treatment (µm) 8.5 ± 1.2
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