6K Additive, Freemelt Collaborate on Refractory Metal Powder

6K Additive and Freemelt have formed a strategic partnership to develop and bring to market new materials for their electron beam powder bed fusion (E-PBF) printer platform that enables advanced additive manufacturing (AM) applications.

For example, cutting edge applications for hypersonics require performance refractory materials such as tungsten to withstand extreme temperatures, forces due to speed, shifting directions and altitude dynamics. According to the companies, 6K Additive has the production expertise and scale to produce refractory performance powders, while the Freemelt AM printers provide a printing platform to deliver on customers’ stringent requirements for these materials. 

“Since the commercial launch of refractory metal powder, we’ve seen a ton of interest in refractories, specifically tungsten,” says Frank Roberts, 6K Additive president. “Freemelt is an organization that prides itself on working with the market for parameter development on their platform to help customers push the capabilities of 3D printing for applications that require high-performance parts and materials like tungsten.”

The collaboraton is designed to enable new material options for advanced customers working on aerospace, hypersonic and medical applications that require high-performing material properties.

“The market is consistently asking us for performance materials, and partnering with 6K Additive gives us and our customers a material supplier that not only delivers high-quality metal powder but is quickly commercializing the sought-after performance materials like tungsten and other refractory metals,” says Dr. Ulric Ljungblad, Freemelt CEO. “The new partnership helps us and them push the limits of what’s possible with 3D printing.”

In 2020, 6K Additive completed the construction of a 45,000 ft² powder production facility in Burgettstown, Pennyslvania. The facility has two UniMelt microwave plasma systems commissioned with two additional systems scheduled to be completed by year end. The company will also begin construction to expand the powder manufacturing building to add space for six additional systems. Installation of the additional systems will begin in First Quarter 2022.