Ultra Fine Specialty Products

Technology Trends

​

2021​

   Powder quality will continue to improve to meet the increasing requirements of metal additive manufacturing. Methods of producing gas atomized powders with narrower particle size distributions, greater sphericity, fewer satellites, and less internal porosity will improve throughput, mechanical properties, and overall process consistency. New alloys custom designed for laser and electron beam powder bed fusion techniques will enable better control of melt pool formation and solidification leading to finer microstructures and further improving properties. Ultra Fine Specialty Products is developing capabilities to produce pilot quantities of new gas atomized powders that can be transitioned to high volume production after successful evaluation.

​

2022

    Ultra Fine Specialty Products continues to expand its production of highly spherical, gas atomized powders in a wide array of alloys used in metal additive manufacturing and metal injection molding. This year, Ultra Fine has also installed capabilities to produce pilot quantities of gas atomized powders, which will enable the development of custom alloys for powder bed fusion and binder jet printing. The pilot equipment will also enable development of technology to narrow particle size distributions, improve sphericity, and reduce satellites. Upon successful evaluation, quantities can be readily scaled to high volumes on existing production equipment.

​

2023

Ultra Fine Specialty Products is using its recently upgraded pilot atomizer to produce small batch sizes up to 500 lbs of custom gas-atomized powders, including tool steels, nickel-based superalloys, cobalt-based alloys, copper-based alloys, and ferromagnetic alloys for MIM and metal AM applications. Its inert gas and vacuum melt capabilities enable tight control of oxygen and nitrogen levels. Additional technologies are being installed to better control particle size distributions, improve sphericity, and reduce satellites. Upon successful evaluation, quantities can be readily scaled to high volumes on existing production equipment. Ultra Fine is also developing post-atomization processes to further control powder flowability for specific applications.   

​

2024

As the numbers and types of metal AM printers continue to grow, manufacturers and operators are increasingly realizing the need for powders that are specifically customized for each machine’s printing technology. Ultra Fine Specialty Products has worked with many metal AM customers to develop a new line of powders optimized to improve the quality and speed of printing, particularly for binder jet technology (BJT) and laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB). These products work because of Ultra Fine’s unique atomization technology, ability to make blends from optimal cuts of powder, and additional post-atomization processes to optimize density and flowability. The new product line includes stainless steel, nickel-based superalloy, F-75, and copper powders.

​

Customers are increasingly requesting tight control of specific elements, including carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, which can be achieved with Ultra Fine’s inert gas and vacuum melt capabilities. Ultra Fine continues to use its pilot atomizer to produce small batches of custom alloys with specific compositions. Upon successful evaluation, new materials based on iron, nickel, cobalt, and copper can be readily scaled to high volume production heats.