COLD SPRAY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Technology

Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) is a low temperature process which uses supersonic speeds to deposit metal powders without melting. Using state-of-the-art automation, solid three-dimensional parts may be printed in minutes in atmospheric air. Cold Spray technology has been used for metal coatings and repairs for over 30 years.

Current Materials

Pure Copper

Print pure copper parts in air, in minutes, without concern for melting point or the hassles associated with reflectivity and thermal conductivity. Obtain excellent electrical (90% IACS) and thermal properties along with mechanical properties comparable to cast or wrought material after appropriate heat treatment. Take advantage of the anti-microbial and anti-viral properties of pure copper.

Aluminum 6061

This widely used alloy can be printed fast and competitively priced for applications in several industries like marine, automotive, aerospace and defense.

Coming soon

  • Stainless Steel 316L

  • Copper alloys

FAQ

  • Fast: Fully dense parts printed in minutes.
  • Highly automated: Minimum operator training needed to run the equipment.
  • Cost: Can be competitive with traditional metal casting.
  • Deployment: Rapid both in-house or in the field.
  • Stress: Minimum thermal and tensile stresses.
  • Microstructure: Retains phase characteristics of original metal powders.

Up to 6 kilograms per hour.

No, it uses metal powder propelled at a speed much faster than the speed of sound to achieve metal bonding.

No, only metal powder. There is no need for a de-binding step nor is sintering necessary to produce fully dense, functional metal parts.

There is no theoretical size limitation for CSAM. However, because metal powders and automated equipment are involved, there are optimal part sizes and weights.

Ductile materials are ideal for CSAM.

No, CSAM is done in air even though inert gases may be used for some applications.

No. In many applications, low cost water atomized powder is all that is needed.

In general, tensile properties are comparable to wrought material after appropriate heat treatment. Due to the bonding mechanism in CSAM, elongation values are usually low. CSAM naturally results in compressive stresses which aid in fatigue applications.

Depending on the metal alloy, CSAM produces parts with excellent electric and thermal properties.

You can go down to about 6mm (1/4”).

Yes. Coating thickness can be measured in microns (or thousandths of an inch).

Featured Application

Copper Metal Coating

Apply copper coatings to new or existing metal surfaces for healthier environments.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has registered hundreds of copper alloys with public health claims but none has been registered specifically for COVID-19. Further testing is required.

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Research & Development

CSAM is an active field of research around the world:

The Advanced Manufacturing Alliance at Charles Darwin University in Australia says that SPEE3D’s technology combines the advantages of Cold Spray, 3D Printing and metal casting in one solution.

advanced manufacturing alliance
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