Formnext 2024: Equispheres and 3D Systems partner to accelerate aluminium 3D printing for aerospace & automotive

Equispheres, Inc., a leading metal powder producer in Canada, announced a supply agreement with South Carolina-based 3D Systems at the Formnext 2024. This partnership enables the use of Equispheres’ North American-produced aluminium powder with 3D Systems’ DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines.

Image Source: 3D Systems

Testing has reportedly demonstrated up to a 50 per cent increase in productivity and an average part density of 99.8 per cent, with a build rate of 49.7 cc/hr at a 60 µm layer thickness on the DMP Flex 350. Integrating Equispheres’ aluminium is anticipated to help customers achieve faster build speeds for the production of automotive and aerospace components, such as lightweight brackets, supports, heat exchangers, and passive RF hardware.

“We are very excited about this supplier agreement with a partner that has such deep knowledge of 3D printing. Our materials print significantly faster than traditional aluminium powders, which dramatically lowers part production time and per-part costs. When combined with 3D Systems’ expertise in applications and its DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 printers, customers can expect to push past previous limitations related to speed and repeatability,” stated Evan Butler-Jones, Vice President — Product & Strategy for Equispheres.

Aluminium is highly valued in Additive Manufacturing for its lightweight nature and excellent heat transfer properties. Equispheres’ powders are designed with consistent size and characteristics to deliver uniform mechanical properties, making them ideal for applications demanding high precision and repeatability. This makes them particularly suited for use in automotive manufacturing, aerospace, defence, and energy sectors.

“We are pleased to enter this supplier agreement with a North American company such as Equispheres. As a leading Additive Manufacturing solutions provider, we value the opportunity to work with up-and-coming companies. Equispheres has developed an interesting material that enables 3D Systems’ customers to produce high-quality parts when used with our DMP Flex 350 and DMP Factory 350 printers. We look forward to seeing how this can help push the boundaries for production applications,” said Marty Johnson, vice president, product & technical fellow, 3D Systems.