EQUIVALENT RESISTANCE OF STAINLESS STEEL NanoSteel developed the capability to print a security tool, which is being used by a global avionics company to remove and replace aircraft panels
Photo by: Bloomberg
Nano-structured steel materials designer NanoSteel last month introduced the company’s first powders designed for a binder jet three-dimensional (3D) printing process, showcasing the company’s initial commercial application in additive manufacturing.
The BLDRmetal J-10 and BLDRmetal J-11 powders enable the 3D printing of components for industries that work in highly abrasive environments and can benefit from additive manufacturing’s ability to eliminate tooling, create advanced geometries, and build custom parts on demand.
Industrial components made using the J-10 metal powder feature twice the elongation and three times the wear and impact resistance of an equivalently infiltrated 420 stainless steel.
Working with additive manufacturing services provider 3DX Industries, NanoSteel developed the capability to print a security tool, which is being used by a global avionics company to remove and replace aircraft panels. In this commercial application, the tools made with J-10 lasted five times longer than the previous solution, significantly decreasing the risk of delays in servicing the aircraft.
“The NanoSteel solution enabled us to create a tool that delivered the durability and reliability the customer required in a fast turnaround environment,” says 3DX president and CEO Roger Janssen, adding that the avionics service team is planning to further adopt this new technology across the company’s global operations.
The BLDRmetal product line of binder jet powders also includes the J-11 powder, which is designed for extreme-wear low-impact applications. Components made from J-11 provide ten times the wear resistance of an equivalently infiltrated 420 stainless steel. The exceptional performance of both NanoSteel products is based on the combination of complex metallic phases that provide wear resistance and a steel matrix that delivers ductility and toughness.
“These first BLDRmetal powders offer compelling alternatives to existing materials for the binder jet printing process,” says NanoSteel GM and VP of Engineered Powders Harald Lemke.
Meanwhile, the company’s entry into the additive manufacturing market enhances the applicability of binder jet printing by enabling the additive manufacturing of high-complexity, lower-cost components with exceptional wear performance. The binder jet process is well suited for cost effectively producing industrial metal parts due to the faster building speed.
These are the first in the company’s portfolio of BLDRmetal powders for hard-metal applications, which will include new products for each of the current metal 3D-printing processes. BLDRmetal J-10 and BLDRmetal J-11 are intended for several industries, including the oil and gas, tool and die, and energy industries for applications such as drilling and pump components, moulds and dies.
About NanoSteel
NanoSteel is an advanced stainless steel and steel materials company specialising in the design and commercialisation of patented steels with exceptional mechanical properties derived from their nanoscale microstructure. The company's primary focus is proprietary alloys for use as sheet steel in automotive lightweighting applications and metal powder for 3D printing of industrial parts.
Founded as a spin-off of the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory in 2002, NanoSteel has developed multiple generations of ferrous materials innovations, including metallic coatings, powders, and sheet steel, protected by over 400 patents filed and granted worldwide. NanoSteel is a privately held company funded by lead shareholders EnerTech, Fairhaven Capital, and GM Ventures.