Additive manufacturing of refractory metals

We are using additive manufacturing to reform the production of highly complex components from refractory metals, which could not be manufactured using conventional methods. This saves material and costs, plus adds flexibility to product development, while also resulting in shorter development times and more sustainable production. As the world's leading manufacturer of molybdenum and tungsten components, with a century of experience under our belts, we know exactly what our materials can do.

The advantages of additive manufacturing at Plansee at a glance:

Everything from a single source: From the powder to the finished component
Material and process know-how
Quick and flexible – from prototypes to series production
Integration of several functions in one component
(Near) net shape manufacturing
Sustainable and resource-friendly

Expertise

Complex components through innovative processes

Components made from refractory metals can be 3D printed by building up three-dimensional structures layer by layer, without the need for multi-part assembly. Our experts use this process to manufacture complex components from molybdenum, tungsten, tungsten heavy metal, and their alloys. Whether free-form surfaces, undercuts, or internal structures, thanks to additive manufacturing, components with such properties can be monolithically manufactured with the highest precision. This results in innovative designs and improved product performance, which benefit areas such as aviation and aerospace, medical technology, and the automotive industry.

Example Mo component with different surface orientations and integrated lattice structures

Example tungsten component with different surface orientations and integrated lattice structures

Gas pipe with low flow resistance and high thermal shielding effect

W lattice structures for different radiation shieldings

Tungsten lattice structures for radiation shieldings

Complex-shaped component with high density (>18 g/cm³) made from tungsten heavy metal

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Video

Find out more about the various 3D-printing options in our video:

Advice

Advice from day one

For additive manufacturing to be successful, it is important to agree on the product requirements and manufacturing methods right from the design phase. Working on the basis of your specific requirements, our development experts and engineers will support you through the entire process, from prototyping to the finished product, making use of our in-house expertise. This ranges from selecting the right material and the ideal manufacturing process to modeling with the aid of topology optimization and component simulation. We design your product to suit your exact needs and ensure that our components deliver peak performance.

Materials

The right material and manufacturing process

With more than 100 years of experience, we know the properties of our materials to a T. What's more, in the last 15 years, we have focused heavily on the development of various additive manufacturing technologies for refractory metals. As a result, we are able to select the right printing process and right material for the component size and requirements in question:

Process options

Direct additive manufacturing processes

The manufacture of pure refractory metals and their alloys mainly takes place through targeted fusion of the individual layers from the powder bed on our machines that are specially designed for this purpose. To do so, we use a high-energy laser or electron beam to melt the metal powder directly in a localized manner and thus build the component layer by layer. Only through the interplay of adapted powders, optimized process parameters and a tailor-made system is it possible to manufacture printed refractory metal components that meet the highest requirements.

Sinter-based additive manufacturing processes

We process materials which exhibit their desired properties in a sintered state (as-sintered) using sinter-based additive manufacturing methods. Metal powder is processed together with organic binders to create what is known as a green compact, whether this be via feedstock, granulate, filament, or suspension.

The green compact undergoes further process steps to produce a metal component. Examples of these materials include dense tungsten heavy metals as well as porous tungsten and molybdenum bodies.

Manufacture of the feedstock and filament

To process the materials, first of all, the solid material component in powder form is mixed with a polymer system. This mixture is called the feedstock. To prepare the feedstock, the powder is processed by filtering, granulation, milling, mixing, and/or spray drying. If there are only small quantities, the feedstock components are mixed in a kneading machine while an extruder is used for large quantities. It is important to ensure that the powder in the binder system is homogeneously distributed. After this mixing process, the feedstock is processed further to create granulate.

Depending on the forming process, this can be used directly or via the intermediate stage of a filament for printing components. The manufacture of the feedstock varies depending on the production process and material.

Optimum quality of 3D-printed components

We maintain the strictest tolerances during finishing, such as milling, grinding, or polishing. We do not compromise when it comes to the quality of our products. Thanks to state-of-the-art methods, such as optical and tactile measuring techniques and ultrasonic testing, we ensure that our products stand up to the highest quality requirements.

Our in-house accredited testing laboratories are available for chemical, mechanical/technological, metal-physical, and non-destructive testing.

As well as manufacturing components from our materials, we also use other materials, such as ceramics and plastics, to improve our products or enable their manufacture. By way of example, reusable masking can be printed for coating processes or complex joint connections can be protected against oxidation with protective gas nozzles developed and printed in-house. With our range of technologies in the field of additive manufacturing, we facilitate the development of increasingly complex assemblies made of high performance materials, such as shieldings in medical technology, foundry cores

for light metal casting, as well as high-strength and wear-resistant molybdenum components for plastic injection molding.

Sustainability

Sustainability in additive manufacturing

Thanks to its innovative strength, Plansee is able to help its customers develop more sustainable products. Additive manufacturing offers the following advantages as a sustainable manufacturing process:

Material efficiency: Net shape and near net shape manufacturing results in hardly any material waste.
Energy savings: When products are produced by additive manufacturing, there is no need for energy-intensive thermomechanical forming processes. This means less energy consumption and lower CO₂emissions.
Smaller carbon footprint: The machines are powered by green electricity.
Recycling: 100 percent of metallic waste and residues is fed back into the loop.
Sustainable raw materials: We employ a wide range of measures to ensure that we only source raw materials from socially, ethically, and ecologically sustainable sources.

There is huge potential for reducing CO₂ emissions and ensuring resource-friendly sustainable production, not just during manufacturing itself, but also in the use of the products.

Contact

Sounds interesting? Then please get in touch and let's develop the products of the future together:

Bernhard Mayr-Schmölzer
Head of Additive and Joining Technologies
+43 5672 600 193380