Recently, Equispheres, a materials science company, received a $ 30 million Series B financing led by HG Ventures. The Canadian Sustainable Development Technology Unit (SDTC), BDC, Canadian Entrepreneur Bank and other undisclosed investors participated.
Equispheres is a materials science company, led by President and CEO Kevin Nicholds, focusing on the application of 3D printing technology.
3D metal printing is suitable for engineering and manufacturing applications, especially in the automotive and aerospace fields, because metal materials are more durable, lightweight, and resistant to high temperatures. However, most of the metal powders produced by the two-fluid gas atomization process today are inconsistent, which can cause internal defects in 3D printed finished products.
Equispheres aims to solve this problem and make the entire 3D metal printing process more controllable. High-performance single-size powder-metal 3D printing powder, is the company's main product, this metal powder has a high consistency, can design and manufacture more robust, lighter, more innovative high-performance aerospace And automotive metal parts.
Its powder is spherical, does not agglomerate and there is no fine powder, can be smoothly rolled under the powder bed blade and roller, thus greatly improving the spreadability.
In the manufacturing process of powder bed additives, round and smooth particles can move more freely than irregularly shaped particles. Irregularly shaped particles will agglomerate and prevent uniform layer deposition, but in standard atomized powder Discover and remove these particles, so that the final product has a good surface finish and better mechanical properties.
McGill University recently conducted a comparative test of powders from different companies using standard flow testing techniques. The results show that Equispheres' powder flow rate is 2.5 times that of other competing companies.
Irregular particles will affect the packing density. Equispheres' powder is denser and can complete the work more evenly. The company stated that the spreading density achievable in a realistically manufactured powder bed is the same as the density in a laboratory and is 30% higher than that of a competing company.
The common problem of metal powder is the thickness of the oxide layer. A thicker oxide layer will result in poorer mechanical properties of the final part. However, a powder with a thinner oxide layer tends to absorb a lot of water, which also has a bearing on the performance of the part. Negative impact. However, Equispheres' powder has both a thin oxide layer and low water absorption.
Tests conducted by McGill University have shown that Equispheres' powder has an oxide layer thickness that is half that of its competitors, but has a water absorption rate of only one-third. This can effectively reduce powder preparation work and improve product performance.
In addition to producing metal powders, Equispheres' R & D staff will also study metallurgical technology and provide engineering services in the field of alloy development.
Next, Equispheres intends to use the new round of financing to expand the scale of production. Specifically, the company will focus on the following aspects. First, Equispheres wants to improve the reactor to increase production and reduce costs. In addition, it will work with strategic partners in the automotive, aerospace and defense industries to accelerate research and development projects. Equispheres will also hire more talents to improve the quality of work.