15 November 2023, 08:00 CET
The company is building an industrial-scale atomiser in
Spain to produce high-quality steel powders for multiple additive
manufacturing technologies
ArcelorMittal today announces its entry into the additive
manufacturing (AdM) market as a steel powder supplier. The company
is building an industrial-scale inert gas atomiser in Aviles,
Spain, to produce steel powders for AdM technologies such as laser
powder bed fusion (LPBF), binder jetting (BJ) and direct energy
deposition (DED).
The atomiser, which will start production in January 2024, will
have a large batch-size production capability, from 200 kg to 3
tonnes, and an initial annual capacity of 1000 tonnes. This will
enable ArcelorMittal to supply significant volumes of steel powders
with consistent quality, reliability and traceability, meeting the
high standards and specifications of the AdM industry.
In line with ArcelorMittal's commitment to sustainability and
decarbonisation, the company is committed to advancing the
sustainability of additive manufacturing. The atomiser will
therefore produce powders from scrap steel, using renewable
electricity, atomising with industrial gases produced by renewable
energy, and using recycled and recyclable packaging solutions.
A new business unit, ArcelorMittal Powders, has been established
to commercialise the output of the atomiser. The steel powders will
be offered in size ranges suitable for all existing powder-based
metal additive technologies in manufacturing industries such as
aerospace, defence, automotive, medical, and energy. They can also
be used in the latest technological developments such as the brake
disc coatings being developed to help Automotive OEMs and Tier Ones
comply with the EU7 regulation on particle emissions. A layer of
powder deposited on the brake disc provides wear and corrosion
resistance which significantly reduces the particulate emissions of
braking.
Commenting, Gregory Ludkovsky, Chief Executive Officer
of Global Research and Development, ArcelorMittal,
said:
"We are proud to launch ArcelorMittal Powders, a new business
unit that reflects our vision to be at the forefront of innovation
and sustainability in the steel industry. By producing and
supplying steel powders for additive manufacturing, we are
expanding our portfolio of advanced materials and solutions for the
future of manufacturing. We believe that steel has great potential
to become the material of choice for additive manufacturing, thanks
to its versatility, performance and sustainability.
“The additive manufacturing industry has grown phenomenally over
the past decade and is expected to continue to grow in double
digits over the next 10 years. While the production of steel
powders is a new venture for ArcelorMittal, we are confident that
our metallurgical expertise and solutions-based approach will
provide our customers with the support they need to improve the
quality and reliability of their additive manufacturing
projects."
Colin Hautz, CEO of ArcelorMittal Powders,
added:
"Additive manufacturing is an area we have been investing in and
building our capabilities for several years, and we are now ready
to scale up our production and offer our customers and partners a
reliable and competitive source of high-quality steel powders.
“From our facility in Spain, we will offer a range of steel
powders tailored to our customers’ needs. A technology as
innovative and disruptive as additive manufacturing not only allows
us to think about changes in the design and manufacturing process
of many parts and components we use today, but also exploit one of
the inherently sustainable characteristics of steel – its
recyclability."
Marketed under the AdamIQ™ brand name, ArcelorMittal's product
portfolio will include stainless steels (316L, 430L, 17-4PH), tool
steels (H11, H13, M300) and low alloy steels (a dual-phase alloy;
4140 equivalent). Drawing on its metallurgical expertise,
ArcelorMittal’s research and development team dedicated to AdM
technologies and steel powder production intends to add further
steel powder products for customers to test in 2024.
ArcelorMittal believes that AdM can create new opportunities for
manufacturing industries, by enabling the production of complex,
customised parts with enhanced properties while simultaneously
reducing material waste. The company is now looking to scale up its
participation in the AdM market and, mirroring its successful
approach with its S-in motion® programme in the automotive sector,
intends to scale its steel powders offering in collaboration with
customers and industrial partners, through co-design and
co-engineering projects.
ArcelorMittal has been producing steel powders in a pilot
atomiser at its AdM lab in Aviles since 2018. With its dedicated
research and development facilities and over 50 full-time
researchers, ArcelorMittal has developed a detailed understanding
of the interactions between steel alloy design, atomisation
parameters, AdM process parameters and the final properties of the
printed parts.
Through its AdM and Digital Research Centre, ArcelorMittal has
already collaborated with customers and partners on various
projects, such as the development of a generative design steel
motorbike chassis, the optimisation of AdM productivity through
software algorithms and, with a JV partner, the production of over
10 tonnes of 1,600 different spare parts per year, for its own
steel plants.
Two factors helped ArcelorMittal decide that now is an
appropriate time to enter the steel powders market. Firstly, the
belief that additive manufacturing, while still at an embryonic
phase, offers exciting growth potential, and there are significant
benefits to gain from being an early participant able to foster the
direction of growth. Secondly, feedback from industrial customers
was that variations in batch-to-batch quality is a significant
issue that is impacting production reliability and repeatability
and is thereby impeding the broader uptake of AdM in larger
production runs. This, plus the trend to ever-larger AdM machines,
prompted the decision to build an atomiser with a large batch
size.
ArcelorMittal unveiled its steel powders and AdM capabilities at
the Formnext trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany (November 7 to 10,
2023), where visitors were able to learn more about the company's
products and services, and to see examples of the printed parts
which have been developed.
Pre-sales orders for 2024 volume are being taken at competitive
rates. For more information, or to start a collaboration, please
contact us at contact.powders@arcelormittal.com or visit
https://powders.arcelormittal.com/.
ENDS
About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel
company, with a presence in 60 countries and primary steelmaking
facilities in 16 countries. In 2022, ArcelorMittal had revenues of
$79.8 billion and crude steel production of 59 million metric
tonnes, while iron ore production reached 50.9 million metric
tonnes.
Our purpose is to produce ever smarter steels
that have a positive benefit for people and planet. Steels made
using innovative processes which use less energy, emit
significantly less carbon and reduce costs. Steels that are
cleaner, stronger and reusable. Steels for electric vehicles and
renewable energy infrastructure that will support societies as they
transform through this century. With steel at our core, our
inventive people and an entrepreneurial culture at heart, we will
support the world in making that change. This is what we believe it
takes to be the steel company of the future.
ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges
of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and
on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and
Valencia (MTS).
For more information about ArcelorMittal please
visit: http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/
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