Renishaw is collaborating with Austrian metal powder manufacturer Metalpine to develop additive manufacturing solutions for maritime applications. The focus of the partnership is the qualification of copper-nickel alloys (CuNi) for 3D printing, which are intended to be used by a European naval unit to produce wear-prone components directly on-site. The RenAM 500Q Flex system from Renishaw is used for this purpose.
Components on ships are constantly exposed to corrosion and mechanical stress in salty environments. To avoid complex supply chains, the naval unit is opting for decentralized production of spare parts. CuNi alloys are particularly suitable for these requirements due to their corrosion-resistant properties. The material forms a protective oxide layer on its surface, making it resistant to moisture and salt.
“Metalpine uses a stable and outstandingly efficient process to manufacture high-quality metal powders focused on particles with high sphericity and no pores. So, it is straightforward for us to develop and produce new powders,” explained Gerald Pöllmann, CEO of Metalpine. “Collaborating with the AM engineers at Renishaw was a great experience. The team quickly shared what they achieved with our powders during their qualification process, enabling us to create and deliver powders that fit the application perfectly.”
Engineering teams from Renishaw and Metalpine jointly developed process parameters for two specific alloys: CuNi 10 with ten percent nickel content and CuNi 30 with thirty percent nickel. While CuNi 10 is considered difficult to process due to its high reflectivity, CuNi 30 is more laser-absorbent thanks to its higher nickel content. According to Alex Garcia, AM Design Engineer at Renishaw, the RenAM 500Q Flex system was adjusted accordingly—through fine-tuning of laser power, scan speed, and melting strategies.
“Metal powders made with copper are difficult to process with AM. CuNi 10 is a highly reflective material which is resistant to laser energy, whereas CuNi 30, due to its higher nickel content, is easier to process,” explained Alex Garcia, AM Design and Applications Engineer at Renishaw. “Leveraging Renishaw’s advanced laser melting technology, we conducted extensive experimentation to refine the energy input parameters. We adjusted the RenAM 500Q Flex power, scan speed and hatch distance to optimise the process for manufacturing with these materials.”
“With these precise settings, we have been able to overcome the material’s challenges, ensuring high-quality, durable parts that can withstand harsh marine environments. This optimisation not only enhances part strength and longevity but also ensures consistent results, allowing our naval customer to manufacture parts that perform reliably under tough conditions.”
The collaboration illustrates how metal additive manufacturing can contribute to operational independence, particularly in safety-critical maritime applications.
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