Formnext 2023 - Anti-Aging Metal Powders
Anti-aging products at a technical trade fair? Many visitors who passed our stand at Formnext asked themselves the same question. What may sound a little out of place at first, sums up exactly what Deloro has stood for for over 50 years: solutions that make metal components last for eternity. As a "Full Metal Anti-Aging" expert, Deloro is the ideal partner when it comes to improving the wear, high-temperature or corrosion resistance of products and enables additive manufacturing in proven Deloro quality using printed protective and metal powders!
What is Additive@Deloro ?
Powders
The cobalt-based Stellite™ alloys are Deloro's best-known and most successful alloys and are used as true "all-rounders" in almost all industry branches where excellent quality is required. They combine excellent mechanical wear resistance, especially at high temperatures, with very good corrosion resistance. Our powders are gas atomized in either a nitrogen or argon atmosphere and achieve excellent results in terms of sphericity, density and flowability. In addition to the well-known standard alloys, Deloro offers a variety of special compositions and provides different grain size distributions.
Powder feeders
In order to provide powder exactly where it is needed, Deloro's gravity powder feeders have been an integral part of Deloro Welding Systems' PTA systems for decades and are state of the art. A prototype of the stand-alone gravity powder feeder was presented at Formnext 2023. This stand-alone version enables constant, pulse-free feeding even at low feed rates of less than 2g per minute. The quick coupling system enables simple and fast powder changes. In addition, the synchronized movement of the powder feed with the burner minimizes the risk of clogging.
3D wax printing
AM processes such as laser metal deposition or 3D wax printing for investment casting are already fully implemented in our German and Italian production facilities. The use of the 3D wax printer accelerates our improvement and development activities. As an integral part of the investment foundry, it enables the rapid realization of new designs and also allows the economical production of small batch sizes. Deviations due to manual reworking are eliminated and prototypes and small quantities can be produced with high precision.
Laser powder build-up welding
In this process, a laser beam creates a molten pool on the surface of a component into which a metal powder is fed. This creates a metallurgically bonded surface coating with superior properties, locally and only where it is needed. By superimposing several layers, new structures are created from dense material. At Deloro, a 5kW diode laser in combination with a robot system and a tilt and turn positioner provides the ideal conditions for generating new complex structures or reconditioning worn parts in a targeted manner.
Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ)
In collaboration with the Fraunhofer IFAM (Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research), Deloro has developed pressure and sintering parameters for cobalt-based Stellite™ alloys in order to make optimum use of metal binder jetting (MBJ) as a sinter-based additive manufacturing process. Test results of the strength, wear and corrosion properties of additively manufactured Stellite™ alloys show excellent performance compared to samples from the conventional production of these alloys!
Selective Laser Melting (SLS)
In selective laser melting (SLM), the powdered starting material is applied in layers to a building platform and melted locally with a laser so that the components are created layer by layer from the powder bed. Together with the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC) at Paderborn University, Deloro has adapted this manufacturing process for its own materials. An innovative heating device was used that enables precise temperature control when printing our alloys. This means that Stellite™ 6 can now also be used for SLM and opens up completely new design possibilities for the material.
Thanks to all visitors who came to see us at Formnext 2023! We are already looking forward to being there again next year!
And in the meantime, our Additive@Deloro team is always available for feedback, discussions and inquiries by E-Mail!