Page 23 - 3D Metal Printing magazine Fall 2022

Adding the feedstock prepara-
tion facility to the Burgettstown 45-acre campus provides 6K Addi-
tive with vertical integration of feedstock sizing for nickel and titanium in the same location,
noted Frank Roberts, company president, and other 6K Additive management during the tour. This
will help to streamline operations
while providing faster delivery
and, ultimately, full control and
quality of the powder produced UniMelt technology’s capability for “tun- able powder production,” they explained.
The Burgettstown plant produces pow- ders that include Inconel 718 and 625, Ti- 6Al-4V, stainless steel and copper grades, as well as capabilities to produce alu- minum alloys. 6K Additive also runs two UniMelt production systems at the com- pany’s parent headquarters in North Andover, MA, producing tungsten, rhe- nium and niobium-based alloys for hyper- sonic, defense and rocket applications. 6K Additive currently boasts 170 employ- ees across its Pennsylvania and Massa- chusetts locations.
And, during the tour, Eric Martin, 6K Additive chief operating officer, provided a glimpse of the microwave generators that each serve a UniMelt reactor. An inter- esting fact: The generators employ the same technology used to cook bacon in
Powder Uniformity 3D
In particular, the expansion plan includes 20,000 sq. ft. of addi- tional powder-production capac- ity via four new UniMelt microwave plasma systems—two set for install in 2Q 2023 and two more later in the year—as well as the addition of a 15,000-sq.-ft. material-feedstock-preparation building. Over the last 12 months, company officials report, 6K Addi- tive has seen rapid growth in the demand for its nickel, titanium and refractory powders. This pow- der-capacity increase—to 600 metric tons upon expansion com- pletion—is expected to help meet customer needs for about the next 3 yr.
Cumberland Additive—origi- nating as an Arconic spinoff from Alcoa—moved into Neighborhood 91, an AM production campus at nearby Pittsburgh International Airport, earlier in 2022 with the hope of growing its core compe- tencies in metal AM and CNC machining while serving a growing aerospace, defense and oil-and- gas customer base. In 17,000 sq. ft. at Neighborhood 91, Straszheim reported, Cumberland Additive houses an SLM Solutions 500 HL AM machine and a Haas five-axis CNC mill, with more equipment on the way. The Pittsburgh loca- tion supports the company’s home operations in Pflugerville, TX, in providing one-off to serial produc- tion along with engineering and qualification for all phases of prod- uct development and lifecycle. With proximity to Neighborhood 91 AM-industry product providers and suppliers as well as 6K Addi- tive, Straszheim sees opportunities for synergy, and overall predicts a major role for AM-component providers in serving larger OEMs.
“Ultimately, OEM manufactur- ing will move into the supply chain,” he said during his presentation. “We must
be in it for the long haul.”
Quadrus Corp. is based in Huntsville,
AL, close to a customer, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, that “is big in metal AM,” Sims offered during his talk. The company boasts three GE Additive Con- cept Laser M2 and one MLab machine along with a wire-EDM machine and dozens of software-development experts. Quadrus has a major focus on developing AM with refractory metals, which hold promise in hypersonic-flight applications, according to Sims. He sees great possi- bilities in working on these types of mate- rials, as refractory metals, with their high performance in high-heat applications, are poised for greater use.
“It all starts with the powder,” Sims explained, addressing a key factor in refractory metal-AM performance. 3DMP
One of four UniMelt microwave plasma reactors in operation at 6K Additive in Burgettstown, PA. A newly announced expansion will see the addition of four more reactors by the end of 2023.
via the
premade bacon products and operate similarly to consumer microwave ovens, though 75 times more powerful.
“The ability to meet the demands of our customers in both quality and delivery is paramount for our organization,” said Martin during the facility walkthrough. “The addition of a feedstock-preparation facility and the added UniMelt production capacity, along with full automation, will help to create a consistent operational flow to meet this demand.”
Cumberland Additive, Quadrus Detail AM Innovation
Besides showcasing its expansion, 6K Additive included guest speakers in its tour: Mark Straszheim, regional director and advanced materials lead, Cumberland Additive; and Dr. Joseph Sims, director of advanced manufacturing for Quadrus Corp.