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Cooperation project to qualify Aheadd CP1 aluminum for 3D printing in the aerospace industry

Picture: Constellium

Constellium, Nikon Advanced Manufacturing (Nikon AM) and other partners from industry and research are working together to qualify the aluminum alloy Aheadd CP1 for additive use in the defense and aerospace sector. The USD 2.1 million project is funded by the US Department of Defense through the America Makes initiative. It is aimed at the data-based validation of a material that is suitable for high-strength components using the powder bed process.

Aheadd CP1 is an aluminum alloy developed specifically for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF). It is characterized by good mechanical properties, high thermal conductivity and process-stable pressure properties. These characteristics enable the production of function-critical components, such as heat exchangers, with reduced post-processing effort. The combination of high productivity and low residual stress makes the material particularly interesting for the production of complex geometries on an industrial scale.

“This project underscores the power of collaboration to drive meaningful innovation,” said Ludovic Piquier, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing Excellence and Chief Technology Officer at Constellium. “Aheadd CP1 continues to demonstrate its value in additive manufacturing, and we look forward to unlocking even greater potential in the aerospace and defense industries with our partners.”

In the project, extensive material tests are being carried out on the large-format NXG XII 600 machines from Nikon SLM Solutions. This platform uses a multi-laser system that is designed for high component density and process stability combined with high build speed. The data obtained will be integrated into the Workbench for Additive Materials (WAM), a central database for material qualification in the field of additive manufacturing.

“Nikon AM is proud to lead this initiative,” said Behrang Poorganji, Ph.D., Vice President, Technology, Nikon AM. “Additive manufacturing (AM) offers many opportunities for the aerospace and defense markets, and material selection is a key to AM success. We are excited to support the United States’ Defense Industrial Base with this groundbreaking project using Nikon SLM Solutions’ large-format, multi-laser NXG XII 600 series laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) systems.”

In the long term, the initiative should help to expand the choice of materials for additive series production in safety-relevant areas and facilitate the integration of such alloys into existing production chains.


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