Sandvik
Cemented carbide components printed by Sandvik.
Sandvik has announced the introduction of 3D printed cemented carbide components, as it continues to expand its additive manufacturing offering.
The materials specialist has been working with cemented carbide since 1932 and has now applied a patented process to facilitate the 3D printing of the wear-resistant material.
Cemented carbides are used in a range of industries that include metal cutting, agriculture, food and oil & gas. Due to its inherent hardness, cemented carbides can be challenging to machine, especially for complex geometries, and so Sandvik has sought to explore tailoring the materials to 3D printing. Based on a unique powder attained through Sandvik’s proprietary process, Sandvik is now offering its 3D printed cemented carbide on a commercial scale.
“The most critical component in our process is working with powders that have the just-right properties. Above all, high density crucially impacts the quality achievable in terms of material properties and geometry,” commented Anders Ohlsson, Lead Product Manager at Sandvik Additive Manufacturing. “Sandvik has developed both a powder and a process that are unique. My view is that with commercial powders, you can make things that look cool – but don’t really work. Our powders are optimised to print components that look great, work well, and are fit for use in actual applications, demanding environments and serial production. It’s also well worth mentioning the ability to 3D print cemented carbide speeds up our time-to-market rather dramatically. Prototyping used to take 6-12 months – and now our lead time to date is a matter of weeks.”
“The main enabler behind us continuously building on our additive offering is the fact that at Sandvik, innovation never stops,” added Mikael Schuisky, VP and Head of Business Unit Additive Manufacturing at Sandvik. “Thanks to our longstanding experience in materials technology paired with our expertise along the additive value chain, made even stronger by our partnership with BEAMIT Group, we can innovate at a speed few others can. This makes us uniquely positioned to drive the shift toward the industrialisation of 3D printing and prove sustainable manufacturing isn’t just possible – it’s already happening. 3D printing in cemented carbide is a natural next step for us having perfected these materials for decades, and we are very pleased to offer additively manufactured components that can revolutionise the performance throughout our customers’ businesses.”
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