Europe's largest steel and rolled metal producer, ArcelorMittal, has announced its entry into the additive manufacturing (AdM) market as a supplier of steel powder. The company began construction of an industrial inert gas atomizer in Aviles, Spain, to produce steel powders for AdM technologies such as laser powder bed welding (LPBF), binder jetting (BJ) and direct energy deposition (DED).
The atomizer, which will begin production in January 2024, will have high-volume production capability (from 200 kg to 3 tons) and an initial annual capacity of 1,000 tons.
In line with ArcelorMittal's commitment to sustainability and decarbonization, the company is committed to promoting the sustainable development of additive manufacturing. The atomizer will therefore produce powders from scrap steel using renewable electricity, atomizing industrial gases derived from renewable energy sources, and using recycled and recyclable packaging solutions.
A new business unit has been created ArcelorMittal Powders for commercialization of atomizer products. Steel powders will be offered in sizes suitable for all existing powder-based metal additive technologies in industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, medical and energy. They can also be used in the latest technology developments such as brake disc coatings, which are being developed to help automotive OEMs and Tier One companies comply with EU7 particulate emissions regulations. A layer of powder applied to the brake disc provides resistance to wear and corrosion, which significantly reduces particulate emissions during braking.
The ArcelorMittal product range, sold under the AdamIQ™ brand, will include stainless steels (316L, 430L , 17-4PH), tool steels (H11, H13, M300) and low alloy steels (dual-phase alloy; 4140 equivalent).
ArcelorMittal believes that AdM can create new opportunities for the manufacturing industry by enabling the production of complex parts customized with improved properties while reducing material waste.
Two factors helped ArcelorMittal decide that now was the right time to enter the steel powder market. First, the belief that additive manufacturing, although still in its infancy, offers exciting growth potential and there are significant benefits to becoming an early entrant who can help drive the direction of growth. Second, feedback from industrial customers was that batch-to-batch variations in quality are a major issue that impacts production reliability and repeatability, thereby preventing wider adoption of AdM in larger production runs. This, coupled with the trend toward larger AdM machines, prompted the decision to create a larger batch size atomizer.
