AddUp has announced 17-4 PH alloy, the most well-known precipitation hardening steel, can now be used on its FormUp 350 powder bed fusion (PBF) machine.
This material is widely used in medical, aerospace, chemical and petrochemical applications.
AddUp says ut is continuously working on expanding its material portfolio to meet application requirements for its customers in a cost-effective way. To that end, the company recently qualified 17-4 PH for FormUp 350 machines.
Equipped with a large build volume for enhanced productivity, roller recoating technology ensuring superior surface finish, and a fully automated, closed-loop Autonomous Powder Module (APM) power handling system, AddUp believes its FormUp 350 is ideally suited for leveraging the capabilities of 17-4 PH stainless steel. The company also offers support from application discovery to development, qualification and production, helping users to get the most out of its metal additive manufacturing technology.
Having qualified the 17-4 PH alloy, AddUp believes it is opening up a series of applications across a range of industries, but since it can be certified to ISO 7153/1 (ASTM F899), the company is highlighting medical applications, such as surgical instruments, medical screwdrivers, and dental burs, as particularly strong opportunities.
“17-4 PH stainless steel exhibits full martensitic properties when processed conventionally,” said Swathi Vunnam, AddUp’s Materials Engineering Manager. “However, when additively manufactured layer-by-layer, it presents microstructural anisotropy, which can be homogenised through standard heat treatments. This unique characteristic allows for precise engineering of the microstructure, resulting in an optimal balance of strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance.”
