Global engineering company Renishaw is collaborating with Sandvik Additive Manufacturing to qualify new additive-manufacturing (AM) materials for production applications.

This encompasses a broad range of metal powders, including new alloy compositions that are optimised for the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process.

Sandvik has worked with Renishaw AM systems since 2018 at its Additive Manufacturing Centre in Sandviken, Sweden.

During this time, the two companies have worked together to develop process parameters for a range of Sandvik metal powders, including stainless and maraging steels, plus the latest Osprey nickel-based super-alloys.

Sandvik has recently inaugurated a ‘state of the art’ titanium atomiser and powder-processing facility and will now turn its focus to qualifying these alloys for industrial and medical applications.

Mikael Schuisky, vice-president (R&D and operations) at Sandvik Additive Manufacturing, said: “With our 157-year materials knowledge, our comprehensive range of in-house Osprey steels, duplex and super-duplex stainless steels, as well as nickel-based alloys and our new titanium powders, Sandvik now offers the widest range of AM materials to the market.

“Renishaw’s open machines have enabled us to rapidly optimise process parameters for our alloys for use in many different applications.”

Stephen Crownshaw, AM business manager at Renishaw, said: “Much of the innovation in AM in the next few years will come from the pairing of enhanced machine performance with improved alloys.

"Better alloys mean better material properties, enabling the manufacture of AM components that are even more efficient and cost-effective. The consistency of Renishaw’s latest AM systems, combined with Sandvik’s material expertise, provides tremendous opportunities to advance AM processes.”

More information can be found at the Web sites (www.renishaw.com/additive) and (www.additive.sandvik).