Digital Manufacturing Centre in the top 1% worldwide high-strength aluminium alloy ‘Scalmalloy’ suppliers

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC), one of the world's most advanced additive manufacturing facilities has achieved results in the top 1% worldwide for APWORKS’s innovative high-strength aluminium alloy Scalmalloy that is supreme for use in high-performance applications in sectors like aerospace, robotics, marine and motorsport.

The outrageous strength aluminium alloy available for additive manufacturing (AM) is Scalmalloy, whose offering performance is analogous to high-strength 7000 series alloys. The proven material combines a tensile strength of 520MPa and yield strength of 480MPa with exceptional ductility and is ideal for highly loaded and safety-critical parts.

Scalmalloy’s components performance and environmental resistance have been exemplified in a manifold array of environments. DMC’s Scalmalloy parts can confront incredibly extreme conditions, whether destined for the cold vacuum of space, the salt-sprayed decks of racing yachts or the heat-soaked environment of racing car drivetrains. Scalmalloy uses a strengthening mechanism to achieve a level of corrosion resistance equivalent to a 5000 series aluminium alloy, whereas, alloying elements are usually detrimental to corrosion resistance.

However, very frequently engineers must compromise between the high material properties and limited geometric freedom of forging, with the geometric freedom and lower material properties of casting and with Scalmalloy, both are possible. The alloy has excellent processability and its performance density supports to restrict overall part cost and weight by diminishing the volume of material needed to safely fulfil application requirements.

As with all additive manufacturing materials and processes, it empowers an incredible level of design freedom. This indicates that components can be optimised for maximum performance and minimum weight - an area of expertise for the DMC’s specialists.

Kieron Salter, Chief Executive Officer, DMC, said: “The DMC team is focused on solving customer challenges, whether that means engineering for application, producing high-quality components at short notice, or bringing new high-performance AM materials to the UK market. British companies working at the frontier of their industry now have a highly qualified and knowledgeable approved supplier to help them take advantage of this revolutionary material and process.

“Scalmalloy is a fantastic addition to our capabilities, particularly for our space, aerospace and motorsport customers. Not only is it relatively straightforward to process but it also offers many incredible performance benefits. Perhaps most importantly, it has a proven track record with established use in some of the most demanding applications in the world.”