Aluminium Materials Technologies(AMT), a developer and supplier of aluminum alloy powders for additive manufacturing, has partnered with theUniversity of Birmingham增强对3D印刷的冶金的理解A20Xaluminum alloy.
The two parties are investigating the characteristic properties of the alloy when produced via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and direct energy deposition (DED) 3D printing techniques. They will also observe the effects on compositional changes, heat treatments, and additive manufacturing process parameters of 3D printed components from A20X.
AMT业务开发总监Martin McMahon说：“ A20X通过添加剂制造成功地采用了完全合格的航空航天组件生产。”“事实证明，A205合金的可靠性在高强度，高延展性和高工作温度应用方面足够足够，因此我们现在正在建立广泛的开发计划，以更深入地了解对该计划的基本冶金是合金。”
3D printing aluminum
Aluminum alloys are commonly used for manufacturing automotive and aerospace components, and 3D printing companies are continually seeking to develop metals with enhanced mechanical performance, in order to expand on these applications and create parts with improved qualities.
In the last year alone, Hamburg-based aluminum specialistFehrmann ALLOYSlaunched its latest high-performance aluminum alloy for 3D printing namedAlMgty 90, while metal AM specialistAmaero’s aluminum alloy, Amaero HOT (High Operating Temperature) Al, entered the final phase ofinternational patent approvalin June.
Meanwhile, California’sHRL Laboratoriesfunctionalizedthe strongest additive manufacturing aluminum迄今为止发布铝7A77.60Lpowder, which was使商业可用in October 2019. NASA’sMarshall Space Flight Center此后开始将材料应用于生产大规模航空航天组件，而HRL构建了一个应用程序，该应用程序与3D设计和工程软件公司一起呈现7A77的传热和流动应用潜力nTopology和航空制造服务提供商MORF3D.
Elsewhere,high performance materials manufacturerQuesTek Innovations LLCannounced the development of a new aluminum alloy3D printer feedstockin collaboration with theGerman Aerospace Center（DLR）和德国金属3D打印机制造商SLM Solutionsjoined forces withHoneywell’s aerospace division toproduce a parameter setfor 3D printing aluminum F357, with the ultimate aim to 3D print aircraft components that meet industry standards.
The A20X family
A20Xis a family of high-strength aluminum-copper alloys developed and patented by AMT, and is deployed within the aerospace and high-end motorsports sectors. The A20X family is made up of A205, a casting alloy with Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) approval, A205/F1, an FIA approved casting alloy, and A207, a silver-free casting alloy. Also included are two powders designed for LPBF 3D printing applications, 2A05 (A205) and 2B05 (A205/F1).
The A20X powders possess a highly refined microstructure achieved through a unique solidification mechanism, which provides near fully isotropic properties – where material has identical values of a property in all directions. According to AMT, these properties provide greater strength, fatigue, and thermal characteristics compared to other alloys.
The Advanced Materials and Processing (AMPLab) at the University of Birmingham have carried out several successful projects to build sample parts from A20X in the past.
“The university’s experience with this alloy dates back to the early days of its introduction as a metal powder for additive manufacturing, and we have carried out many successful projects characterizing the physical properties of candidate parts,” said Moataz Attallah, Professor of Advanced Materials Processing and Director of AMPLab at the School of Metallurgy & Materials at the university.
“So now we are working closely with AMT to dig deeper into what makes this alloy so unique, and through our selection of AM tools and vast array of materials characterization techniques, we are in a great position to make that happen.”
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Featured image shows large cylinder samples printed with A20X. Image via Aluminium Materials Technologies.
