3D Systems Selects 6K Additive as its Tungsten Powder Supplier

6K Additive announced during the Additive Manufacturing Users Group 2023 conference that they have entered into an agreement with 3D Systems to become 3D Systems' preferred supplier of tungsten powder for its DMP metal 3D printing solutions. 6K Additive, a division of 6K, a company in the sustainable production of engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries, can produce refractory metal powders using its UniMelt microwave plasma process.

“This agreement provides their [3D Systems'] customers with a high-quality material that will meet the demanding requirements for tungsten powder where high temperature and high strength properties are needed in applications such as medical, defense, hypersonic and other rocket parts,” Frank Roberts, president of 6K Additive comments. 

Last year 6K Additive announced the ability to produce a full range of refractory materials that have historically not been available in production because of the difficulty to process these materials into powder simply due to their high melting temperatures, according to 6K Additive. The control of 6K’s UniMelt microwave plasma process, combined with the expertise of 6K Additive’s team, allows the company to manufacture production scale volumes for many of the refractory powders like tungsten and other refractory materials such as rhenium, tantalum, niobium and molybdenum, the company reports.

6K Additive offers an additive manufacturing powder made from sustainable sources and offers a full suite of premium powder including nickel, titanium, copper, stainless steel, aluminum alloys and refractory metals such as tungsten and rhenium. The  UniMelt system is a microwave production-scale plasma system. The UniMelt process produces powders that are spherical, void of porosity and satellites, according to 6K Additive.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

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