Nickel alloy Inconel 625 qualified for AM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF
RESPECTIVE COMPANIES

Desktop Metal Inc., an AM technologies company for mass production, qualified the use of Nickel alloy Inconel 625 (IN625) for the Studio System, a turnkey metal 3D printing platform to print high-performance metal parts in low volumes for pre-production and end-use applications.

The platform now offers 8 total materials for 3D printing.

Users can also print titanium alloy Ti6Al4V (Ti64), copper, 4140, two tool steels (H13 and D2), and two stainless steels (17-4PH and 316L). Shipments of IN625 are available now.

IN625 is a high-performance nickel alloy known for high levels of strength, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, making it popular for aerospace, chemical processing, and offshore energy industries.

The strength of IN625 also makes it difficult and expensive to machine into complex shapes. The process typically requires a skilled machinist and special CNC cutting tools, strategies, and coolants to shape. It’s not uncommon for cutting tools to be broken or deformed when milling Inconel stock or for the material to deform when the outer layer hardens too quickly in response to machining.

Producing IN625 parts with the Studio System 2 is fast, safe, and affordable. Users can print and sinter final, end-use parts, or near-net shape parts to be precision machined for key surfaces with ease.

Expansion of AM center

Collins Aerospace broke ground on a $14 million expansion of its additive manufacturing (AM) center in West Des Moines, Iowa. The 9,000ft² expansion makes room for more 3D metal printers, in addition to the three already onsite. The first new printer will have 8x the build volume of the existing printers and Collins expects it to be fully operational in late 2023.

Collins’ 41,000ft² West Des Moines facility is a designer and producer of fuel nozzles for commercial and military aircraft. Collins will enhance current production capabilities and expand the portfolio of metals it can use to additively produce engine components at the site.

Stratasys acquires Covestro’s AM materials business

Stratasys Ltd., a provider of polymer 3D printing solutions, acquired the additive manufacturing (AM) materials business of Covestro AG. It includes R&D facilities and activities, global development and sales teams across Europe, the U.S., and China, a portfolio of approximately 60 AM materials, and an IP portfolio comprising hundreds of patents and patents pending. The purchase price is approximately $43 million, plus additional inventory, less certain liabilities. Covestro has been a key part of Stratasys’ third-party materials ecosystem, and the acquisition will benefit customers using multiple Stratasys 3D printing platforms, including its Origin P3, Neo stereolithography, and H350 printers. Stratasys is already a distributor of Covestro’s Somos resins already available for Neo and Origin One 3D printers.

The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2023, and the transaction is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Most employees of the acquired entity will continue to be based in Geleen, Netherlands and Elgin, Illinois.