Additive Manufacturing - Technology Metals for Industrial 3D Printing

Interview conducted by Jake WilkinsonJan 4 2017

H.C. Starck Solutions, suppliers of specialist metals, provide a range of technology metals to be used specifically in additive manufacturing (3D printing). Additive manufacturing allows highly complex and geometrical parts to be produced as a whole - meaning less parts are required to create device components and the assembly time is reduced. This technology is becoming popular across the board - from the medical industry to aerospace.  

What different manufacturing services does H.C. Starck Solutions provide?

The H.C. Starck Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany, is a leading global supplier of technology metals, high-performance ceramics and thermal spray powders with decades of metallurgical and processing experience.

H.C. Starck produces high-alloyed AMPERSINT^® metal powders of all major standard compositions, such as nickel- (Ni), cobalt- (Co) and iron- (Fe) based alloys, refractory metals and their alloys (W, Mo, Ta, Nb), as well as customized solutions with tailored chemistries and particle size distributions. Available from small to large scale batch sizes.

The perfectly spherical powder shape, excellent flow characteristics, low oxygen content and high reproducibility of H.C. Starck Surface Technology and Ceramic Powders AMPERSINT® powders ensure the repeatability, consistency and reliability of the Additive Manufacturing processes to achieve the optimum performance of Additive Manufacturing parts.

The Fabricated Products Division (FPR) of H.C. Starck Solutions, based in the U.S. with 6 manufacturing facilities on three continents, now offers spheroidized refractory metal powders and their alloys using state-of-the-art processing capabilities. These powders are designed from our core metals: molybdenum, niobium, tantalum and tungsten, in both pure and alloyed forms, with tailored chemistries and particle size distributions.

In addition, FPR develops innovative finished parts from refractory metals produced also using additive manufacturing processes.

H.C. Starck Solutions provides a range of different technology metals designed for use in additive manufacturing.

What motivated H.C. Starck Solutions to enter into the additive manufacturing market?

We knew Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, was going to be the technology of the future for manufacturing high-value components with complex geometric structures.

3D printing allows us the freedom to design and create objects in three-dimensions, leading to entirely new ways of manufacturing custom-made components and structural elements that are impossible to produce with conventional technologies.

With additive manufacturing, a product can be designed and a sample created in a fraction of the time compared to traditional manufacturing.

A single-piece component made from molybdenum or tungsten can be made without all the previously required manufacturing steps. So, production process steps such as the pressing and sintering of powders, thermo-mechanical processing, machining and assembly of components are eliminated, making it easier and faster to seamlessly deliver products to customers using this advanced additive manufacturing technology.

What impact do you think the introduction of technology metals into the additive manufacturing world is going to have?

The impact is tremendous.

Suppliers, as an example, have demonstrated the ability to produce large titanium aerospace parts using additive manufacturing versus the traditional forging method. This demonstrates just how versatile this technology is and what types of complex components can be made.

Besides aerospace, there are many high-tech markets taking advantage of the technology including automotive, medical, chemical processing and energy, to name a few.

Additive manufacturing can be used to create complex, continuuous geometrical parts such as those found in aeroplane turbines. Image Credits: Nine_Tomorrows/shutterstock.com

Are there any new applications that particularly stand out to you?

Definitely, additive manufacturing has demonstrated the ability to eliminate assembly steps and make single-piece components that were previously produced from hundreds of individual parts.

For example, H.C. Starck Solutions' FPR has taken advantage of this potential to expand its product portfolio in lead-free collimators and anti-scatter grids for medical CT scanners, SPECT and gamma cameras.

What are the main industries H.C. Starck Solutions is targeting for their additive manufacturing services?

We are targeting technically advanced applications in industries like medical and industrial imaging, nuclear and thermo-nuclear energy, and various aerospace and defense related applications that will be the first to benefit from H.C. Starck Solutions’ FPR additive manufacturing technology.

We are working with our current customers and exploring relationships with new customers to formulate powders and design complex parts to greatly improve performance, significantly reduce production and lead times by eliminating the need for multi-component assemblies.

Are there many differences between the varied materials you offer through this service, especially any which you think might have more popular or far-reaching applications? Are there any which are more challenging to work with and will remain more specialised?

We feel our molybdenum and tungsten spherical powders, which are optimized for additive manufacturing and engineered for enhanced product performance, will be popular with additive manufacturing techniques such as binder jet, directed energy deposition and powder bed fusion.

The enhanced spherical shape of our powders improves their flowability and gives them a high apparent density in order to meet the stringent purity levels demanded by our customers and their application requirements.

Refractory metals will always be specialized and challenging to work with. H.C. Starck Solutions, with nearly 100 years of experience with refractory metals, is an ideal partner to solve customer problems. Whether it is a complex refractory alloy, powder or a highly complex finished part, H.C. Starck Solutions can help.

In addition to the raw materials needed for 3D printing do H.C. Starck Solutions also provide 3D printed components?

Yes, we have been able to develop new materials, processes, and products using additive manufacturing tools, since 2014, when H.C. Starck Solutions' FPR entered into an agreement with Rapid Prototype and Manufacturing (rp+m).

Also, with our rp+m collaboration, we now produce additively manufactured tungsten components for medical imaging and security screening much faster and more efficiently than before. With additive manufacturing, we can rapidly develop prototype products that extend to production level volumes in record time.

Due to their partnership with rp+m, H.C. Starck Solutions can also provide 3D printed components as well as the raw materials for additive manufacturing.

Where can readers find out more about your additive manufacturing services?

More information can be found on our website. Our brochures “H.C. Starck Solutions and rp+m to develop 3D Printed Products” and “H.C. Starck Solutions’ Refractory Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing” can be downloaded using the below link.

Download the Brochure for More Information

About H.C. Starck Solutions

The H.C. Starck Group is a leading global supplier of technology metals and advanced ceramics. The company operates modern manufacturing facilities in Europe, America, and Asia and serves growing industries such as the electronics, chemicals, automotive, medical technology, aerospace, energy technology, and environmental technology industries, as well as engineering companies and tool manufacturers.

On December 31, 2017, the H.C. Starck Group had 2,600 employees in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, China, Japan, and Thailand.

H.C. Starck’s products are predominantly based on technology metals: Tantalum, Niobium, Tungsten, and Molybdenum.

The Fabricated Products Division converts technology metal powders into customized semi-finished and finished products through pressing, sintering, rolling, melting and thermo-mechanical processing and surface treatment.

The Tungsten Division provides high performance products for the mechanical engineering and tool making, automotive and energy industry, aviation industry, and the chemical industry, for example:

• tungsten carbides for carbide tools and wear parts
• tungsten and cast tungsten carbides for oil and gas drilling
• tungsten metal powders for heavy metal alloys
• tungsten chemicals as precursors for catalysts

The Advanced Ceramic Components (CER) Division manufactures specialized technical ceramic parts and films. CER produces engineering parts such as sealing rings, functional parts including fuel cells for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems and products for dental applications as well as for armor and wear protection. Furthermore, CER focuses on technological developments to expand the portfolio toward product applications in the semiconductor industry.

In 2018 H.C. Starck sold the division Surface Technology & Ceramic Powders to the Swedish Höganäs Group, effective March 1st and the division Tantalum and Niobium to the JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group, effective July 1st.

The group is led by a two-member Executive Board: Dr. Jens Knöll (Chairman of the Executive Board), Dr. Jan Lösch (Member of the Executive Board).

H.C. Starck was founded in Berlin in 1920. Since 2007, the company is owned by financial investors Advent International and The Carlyle Group.

H.C. Starck is registered in Goslar (Germany) and the Group’s headquarters is located in Munich (Germany).

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by H.C. Starck Solutions.

For more information on this source, please visit H.C. Starck Solutions.