Materials Engineered for Additive Manufacturing

Carpenter Additive develops, manufactures, and distributes high-performance metal powder for demanding additive manufacturing (AM) applications. Powder-to-part AM capabilities are backed by nearly 135 years of materials development and manufacturing expertise.

Carpenter Additive President Ben Ferrar will be hosting an in-depth discussion on materials for AM at Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2024 on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 3:20 p.m. EST.

Powder drives performance

High-quality AM products start with high-quality AM powder. Homogeneous microstructure, uni-modal particle size distribution, and precise chemistry control all contribute to powder performance and the ability to meet tight specifications. Advanced powder melting drives fine grain size and the ability to push chemistries to next-level strength through high hardener material additions — beyond what’s possible in casting.

Carpenter Additive owns the process from end-to-end, including raw materials selection, melting, atomization, plasma spheroidization, powder handling, and rigorous testing and quality control. All powders are engineered for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), electron beam melting (EBM), directed energy deposition (DED), and binder jetting, and are optimized to a variety of machine types.

Carpenter Additive

High-tech, low-contamination manufacturing

Carpenter Additive has cutting-edge manufacturing facilities around the world, providing rapid access and supply chain stability for AM partners in medicine, aerospace, defense, energy, transportation, and beyond.

United States

• Location: Athens, Alabama
• Specialties:
  • High-volume powder manufacturing and custom alloy development
  • Home to the Emerging Technology Center
• Hardware: 3,000-lb. vacuum induction melt (VIM) gas atomizer
• Capabilities:
  • Argon and nitrogen atomization
  • Automated pouring capabilities
  • Twin towers for grade segregation and cleanliness
  • Recipe controls and data collection for critical process variables (CPV)

United Kingdom

• Location: Liverpool
• Specialties: Custom alloy development and manufacturing
• Hardware:
  • Electrode inert gas atomizer (EIGA) for titanium and other reactive metal powders, where ultra-clean processes are required
  • 1,000-lb. vacuum induction gas atomizer (VIGA) for nickel, cobalt, and steel alloys
  • 40-kW Tekna spheroidizer
• Portfolio: Nickel, steel, copper, and titanium alloys
• Capabilities:
  • Plasma spheroidization of refractory metals such as tantalum, tungsten, niobium, and molybdenum
  • Full traceability and digital integration

Sweden

• Location: Torshälla
• Specialties: High-volume, economical manufacturing of AM steel and nickel powders that are conducive to air atomization
• Hardware: 9,000-lb air melt furnace with nitrogen gas
• Portfolio:
  • Industrial tool steel
  • Duplex, austenitic, and martensitic steels
  • Nickel alloys
  • Other coarse powders for powder metallurgy

AM metal powder on demand

Developed to meet both the speed and standards of production-scale AM facilities, Carpenter Additive’s suite of PowderRange products offers an extensive selection of off-the-shelf, standard specification metal powders in a variety of grades. More than 25 grades of quality-assured, AM-optimized metal powders are in stock at the Carpenter Additive online shop. Orders are shipped within 24 hours, and inventory is updated in real time.

For non-standard applications, Carpenter Additive’s metallurgical experts provide custom alloy development tailored to specific mechanical property needs.

Sustainable metal hoppers for AM at scale

Production scaling has led to a substantial increase in AM machine throughput over the past decade. Carpenter Additive’s hoppers provide an intelligent solution for the transportation and storage of metal powders in bulk. The stainless steel hoppers are engineered for applications that demand considerable volumetric capacity, transport security, and closed-loop system compatibility, featuring:

• 250 L and 500 L internal capacity options
• Safe carrying capacity of up to 2000 kg of powder
• Compatibility with hazardous alloys
• Fitted pressure gauge and + 0.2 bar pressure relief valve
• Push-fit inerting gas connection points

The hopper facilitates handling and movement with four-way access and crane lifting capabilities. Its robust unibody design diminishes packaging waste considerably over its lifetime, compared to plastic bottles. And it significantly reduces the risk of operator exposure and contamination.

Ben Ferrar, Vice President of Carpenter Additive, will be participating at the upcoming Additive Manufacturing Strategies business summit in New York, February 6 to 8, 2024. Ferrar will be giving the session keynote “Materials for AM.” Carpenter Additive is a Platinum Sponsor for the event.