In the past few years, we have seen 3D printed parts made of various metals and gold alloys, including tungsten, steel, stainless steel, nickel, cobalt chromium, copper, iron, aluminum, and even precious metals like gold. However, apart from VBN Components and its patented hard metal Vibenite 480 material, it is difficult to find a reliable AM process to manufacture hard alloy parts with consistent quality and performance. However, this week, the hard materials expert of the CERATIZIT Group headquartered in Luxembourg announced that its 3D printed hard alloy parts have won an innovation award from the multi-sector FEDIL Business Federation.
As a pioneer in cemented carbide technology in the world, it has a history of more than 95 years and has continuously invested in research and development to develop the best new cemented carbide, ceramic and cermet grades of hard materials, and used to produce special cutting tools, which are easily damaged Pieces, indexable blades and rods. CERATIZIT's hard material solutions have more than 1,000 patents. These solutions have been used in aerospace, automotive and tool manufacturing, mechanical engineering and medical, and oil and gas industries.
Research Director Dr. Ralph Useldinger and Project Manager Dr. Christian Lamberti at the 2020 Innovation Awards Ceremony
CERATIZIT won the 2020 Innovation Award in FEDIL's "Process" category with its new tungsten carbide-cobalt 3D printing process, which the company described in its press release as "an ideal solution for small batches and high component complexity."
Dr. Ralph Useldinger, head of CERATIZIT’s R&D department, said: “The additive manufacturing of cemented carbide products provides us with greater flexibility to meet customer requirements and opens up new design possibilities. We can use them in the shortest Provide customers with highly optimized and personalized solutions within a period of time." In the release.
Dr. Useldinger further explained that the company's customers will also benefit from the active support provided by CERATIZIT to optimize product design. So why is it so important to find a good 3D printing process for cemented carbide parts? Cemented carbide is a powder metallurgical material with a hard material phase and a metal binder, which can provide an appropriate amount of hardness and toughness for industrial use. As far as cemented carbide is used for wear protection and cutting tools, tungsten carbide usually acts as a hard carbide phase, while cobalt is a metal binder. Therefore, according to CERATIZIT, “the best physical and mechanical properties can be obtained performance."
Tools made of this hard material can withstand higher temperatures than usual, which makes it ideal for industrial tool applications and even 3D printer nozzles. Cemented carbide also has electrical and thermal conductivity, excellent wear resistance, and good compression and impact strength. 3D printing cemented carbide parts can help you save time and costs in the prototyping or small batch production and design stages. In addition, the technology also allows users to use free-form contours to create much more complex shapes than conventional manufacturing processes can provide, such as undercuts and internal channels, and can also reduce the number of parts and components required.