Global Aerospace company orders coarse cut Ti powder from PyroGenesis
September 21, 2023
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has received an order from an unnamed global aerospace firm for plasma atomised titanium metal powders for Additive Manufacturing. Intended for one of the client’s ongoing internal R&D programmes, the order is for coarse cut metal powder in the range of 45-150 μm, a size typically seen as a by-product of fine powder production.
The client is the large global aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the United States with whom the company has previously disclosed its ongoing qualification process. The order was produced using the Company’s NexGen™ plasma atomisation system.
“The significance of this order is the particle size distribution (PSD) that has been requested,” stated Mr P Peter Pascali, CEO and President of PyroGenesis. “The PSD for this order is for our coarse cut titanium powder, in this case for powder between 45-150μm (microns), which we have been producing over the past year as we build our stock inventory. This contract recognises what we believe is the superior overall quality of our powder and establishes a market for a larger percentage of our powder output, thereby improving our overall returns substantially.”
Massimo Dattilo, VP PyroGenesis Additive, added, “With some traditional metal powder production processes, as the powder is created then filtered and separated into different cut sizes, the fine cut powder is removed for sale, with the remaining coarsest cut often considered of limited use, or even discarded as unsuitable. However, with PyroGenesis Additive’s NexGen plasma atomisation system, the coarsest cut component of the production batch remains of such a high quality, that we store these powders as inventory for future sales. By selling both the fine and coarse cut of each powder production run, the company’s yield percentage from raw material is greatly enhanced, which is in line with the company’s broader mandate for commodity security and optimisation.”
PyroGenesis’ development of titanium metal powders is part of the its three-tiered solution ecosystem that aligns with economic drivers that are key to global heavy industry. Metal powders is part of the company’s Commodity Security & Optimisation tier, where the recovery of viable metals, and the optimisation of production to increase output, helps to maximise raw materials and improve the availability of critical minerals.
“Over the past several years, we designed, then readied, our new NexGen plasma atomisation process with a goal to produce the highest quality metal powders in the Additive Manufacturing industry,” added Pascali. “PyroGenesis Additive has taken a cautious, methodical approach to its new production process. Now, with the full-scale commercialisation underway, and a steady influx of initial orders, the long-term conservative strategy that has brought us to this point today is bearing fruit.”
Want to read more about PyroGenesis?
In the Autumn 2023 issue of Powder Metallurgy Review magazine, we report on the company’s history in metal powders, its vision for the future, and how a combination of the rise of Additive Manufacturing, a drive towards decarbonisation by heavy industry, and concerns around commodity security have fundamentally changed the landscape for metal powder producers.
Read the full article for free: PyroGenesis Additive: Making waves in plasma atomised metal powder production once again
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