ExOne has entered into a partnership with Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. (GTP), a metal powder manufacturer headquartered in Towanda, Pennsylvania. This agreement allows the two parties to work to advance the use of tungsten powders in metal binder jet 3D printing. This is expected to have a high impact in the production of cutting tools, wear-resistant parts, and applications where high electrical and thermal conductivity is required.
Our latest development collaboration with GTP will help advance the materials necessary to deliver on the vision of producing these parts faster, with less waste and more geometric design freedom, says Tim Pierce, ExOnes VP of Metal Commercial Products.
Tungsten has the highest melting point of all discovered elements, and can be found as a contaminant in other powders. However, this value also brings remarkable robustness, and it is frequently combined with other elements to make heavy metal alloys, as well as to make rocket nozzles, turbine blades, and other high-wear components.
ExOne 3D printers, including the X1 25PRO and the Innovent+, are already compatible with certain tungsten alloys. In this new partnership with Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. though, the company will be looking into two new metal matrix composites: cemented carbide (WC-Co) and copper-tungsten (CuW).
Image courtesy of ExOne