Equispheres launches NExP-1 a non-explosible aluminium alloy for Additive Manufacturing

Ontario-based Equispheres has confirmed the discovery of a non-explosible aluminium alloy feedstock for Additive Manufacturing that decreases the chances of accidents related to the everyday application of metal powders. The latest creation, NExP-1, has been specially crafted to produce aluminium components.

Equispheres’ team goes on to illustrate that NExP-1 has the capacity to manufacture high-quality, precise items at an extremely advanced throughput rate. But on the brighter side, it has a dust-free quotient unavailable in any of its contemporaries. Moreover, the NExP-1 is non-explosible as per the ASTM E1226 guidelines or mainly the terms of the Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds. This newly developed additive raw material is also non-combustible in accordance with the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part 3, Subsection 33.2.1., depicting flammable solids.

The vice president – Product & Strategy for Equispheres, Evan Butler-Jones, stated: “We have achieved these key safety properties without altering the quality of either our material or the chemical composition. In printing, this material performs just as well as our other aluminium powders, but it has the added benefit of being non-explosible and non-combustible.”

“It would almost be inaccurate to even call this a powder. It is almost totally free of dust; it flows like water, and it is easy to clean off equipment surfaces. It is a completely unique printing media for production Additive Manufacturing,” Evan Butler-Jones specifically noted.

The NExP-1 material has only the AlSi10Mg variation, and the company is keen on exploring recommended parameters for additively manufacturing certain end-user products from this new material.

The CEO of Equispheres, Kevin Nicholds, exclaimed: “We are applying our technology to empower innovation in Additive Manufacturing. We anticipate this new, safer aluminium material will be embraced by companies using AM in a production setting. This breakthrough is a result of our ongoing efforts to make 3D printing more accessible and competitive with other manufacturing methods.”

Equispheres is one of the most active companies trying to perfect the additive manufacturing business globally, with an incredible team of metallurgists engrossed in R&D to discover a more advanced technology. The brand’s innovations with the aluminium powder application have brought abundant benefits to the aluminium sector, as aluminium components can now be obtained at a lower cost. NExP-1 is a tremendous discovery by Equispheres, which will completely change the future of AM aluminium powders worldwide.