PSI witnesses strong demand for its advanced atomising system to process aluminium powder

Phoenix Scientific Industries (PSI), based in Hailsham, East Sussex, UK, has seen an increased demand for sophisticated aluminium atomising devices. PSI offers clients ATEX-rated machinery to create premium spherical aluminium powders with its HERMIGA atomiser line.

The HERMIGA portfolio includes batch-pour and continuous-pour systems, covering everything from R&D to high-capacity production scale systems. The development efforts in powder metallurgy and technologies for post-production powder processing at PSI further support this.

High yields may be achieved by adjusting the particle size distribution to the end user's needs, even at the more refined spectrum for applications like Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing. The expansion of additive manufacturing has facilitated the creation of novel compositions especially suited to the distinctive melting and solidification properties of laser and electron beam additive manufacturing (AM) techniques.

The clean vacuum/inert gas melting and atomisation procedures offered by PSI's 120 Series HERMIGA production scale atomisers are necessary for many of these alloys since they include reactive elements, such as rare earth Ti and Zr. One such atomiser has just been put in place at the metal powder factory of IRT M2P in Uckange, France. The bigger atomiser components had to be set via the roof to fit into an existing tall structure with a constrained footprint, according to PSI, who noted that installation presented some difficulties.

According to PSI, it also developed the aluminium alloy A20XTM for additive manufacturing. This alloy, created as part of the NATEP-funded "High Strength Aluminium Powder for Additive Manufacturing" (HIGHSAP) project, has extreme high-temperature strength because of the dispersion-hardening effects of its TiB2 component.

To optimise the A20X powder generated by atomisation to attain qualities best suited to fulfil the AM production needs for aerospace, defence, and automotive applications, the consortium brought Aeromet (lead partner), PSI, Renishaw, and Rolls Royce.