Page 37 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2020

AM Showcase
Tru2Spec Precision Powder Formulation Enables
New AM Design, Reducing Parts Produced From 27 to 1
ADVERTORIAL
A leading energy OEM
wanted to reduce part in-
ventory, lower equipment
downtime and simplify
maintenance. The answer?
Replace 27 parts with one.
With the part designed by
the OEM’s inhouse engi-
neering team, it was time to
figure out part production.
Enter additive manufactur-
ing and a precision powder
formulation. The new part
required a custom, preci-
sion powder formulation to
meet the desired specifica-
tions and requirements. To
make matters more chal-
lenging, the OEM needed to
test and validate three dif-
ferent formulations in an ac-
tual production setting within a matter of weeks.
Precision Powder Formulation in Weeks
Praxair’s TruFormTM Advance Team consulted with the OEM and developed three alloys using the Tru2SpecTM preci- sion powder formulation process. A com- plete analysis of alloy properties including chemistry profile, particle sizing, flowability and morphology, allowed the OEM to evaluate the production quality of each alloy without having to print test parts
Test-sized batches of each alloy then were produced in 25 kg amounts using a small-scale atomizer. Once the final chemistry was confirmed, Praxair quickly scaled-up custom production to meet the OEM’s delivery timeline.
Rapid Production Scale-up Hits the Mark
The Tru2SpecTM precision powder for- mulation process removed guesswork
from the alloy development process and allowed for precision adjustments to the formulas, as needed. Small-sized test batches reduced waste and expense and made it easier for the OEM to explore their options. Praxair’s high-capacity pro- duction facilitated delivery of 2000 kg of the alloy, all from a single batch, allowing the customer to meet their deadline. The reduction in parts has allowed the OEM to
save both time and expense in production of a key piece of equipment.
Dedicated Team of AM Metal Powder Experts
The TruForm Advance Team is contin- ually innovating, researching and develop- ing new powder formulas, solutions and properties to stay ahead of AM trends. Our inhouse TruForm Center for AM Ad- vancement is used for custom powder for- mula prototyping, internal part production and AM R&D. The TruForm AM testing lab supports powder performance testing for major metal AM processes. We continu- ally invest in the newest AM printing inno- vations to ensure our powders seamlessly integrate into your printing processes.
Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc.
1500 Polco St. Indianapolis, IN 46222
317/240-2500 praxair_am@praxair.com praxairsurfacetechnologies.com/am