Equispheres launches non-explosible & non-combustible AlSi10Mg metal 3D printing material
Equispheres The development of an aluminum alloy feedstock has been announced by the company. This will reduce the risks associated with handling materials.
The ‘dust free’ NExP-1 material is designed for the production of ‘high-quality’ aluminium parts and is characterised as non-explosible per the ASTM E1226 Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds. Equispheres claims that the material is non-combustible according to the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria Part 3, Subsection 33.2.2 regarding flammable solids. The launch took place last week at the Equispheres headquarters. Formnext.
Equispheres’ aluminium alloy Equispheres is non-explosible, so the company believes it could lower the barriers to industrialisation and make it easier for manufacturers to integrate 3D printers into their production lines. The technology behind this development, currently available in AlSi10Mg is being applied to other materials.
“We have achieved these key safety properties without altering the quality of our material nor the chemical composition,” commented Evan Butler-Jones, Vice President of Product & Strategy for Equispheres. “In printing, this material performs just as well as our other aluminium powders, but it has the added benefit of being non-explosible and non-combustible. This material could almost be called a powder. It’s almost completely free from dust. It flows like water and is easy to clean off equipment surfaces. It is a completely unique printing media for production additive manufacturing.”
“We are applying our technology to empower innovation in additive manufacturing,” added Kevin Nichols, CEO of Equispheres. “This new breakthrough is a result of our ongoing efforts to make 3D printing more accessible and competitive with other manufacturing methods.”
At Formnext, Equispheres also announced a collaborations with Morf3D to qualify its aluminium powders and to develop new applications which will result in ‘further performance improvements based on current expectations.’
“Morf3D is a leading innovation partner in additive manufacturing and has extensive experience with serial production. At Equispheres, we have an emphasis on applications engineering and process optimisation, so we speak the same language,” said Butler-Jones. “With Morf3D applying our materials technology, we expect to find even more opportunities for AM in space and aviation.”
“We constantly seek innovations in additive manufacturing that will accelerate customer adoption, solve challenging problems and drive to reach traditional cost models. Equispheres has given us access to proven production materials. We’re excited to explore and share the possibilities of this technology,” added Dr. Behrang Poorganji, Vice-President, Materials Technology at Morf3D.
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