Desktop Metal and Uniformity Labs have unveiled a partnership to qualify and supply ultra low porosity binder blasting powders that exhibit sintered part density and high mechanical properties associated with Desktop Metal’s AM 2.0 binder blasting solutions.
Led by a team of materials scientists, Uniformity Labs has developed patented materials technology that allows powders with pressure densities of up to 85% to sinter at full density and are significantly more fluid than powders of comparable size. These materials are unlike any other in their ability to spread evenly across the print bed at the highest relative density, providing the highest possible sintered part density with the lowest possible part shrinkage in the binder jet. The result is extraordinarily high precision parts exhibiting excellent material properties and surface finish.
The goal of this partnership is to leverage Desktop Metal’s high-speed binder jet systems and processes with Uniformity Labs’ capabilities in metal powder processing to create integrated solutions that enable businesses to adopt more easily the binder jet to produce end-use metal parts to climb. The collaboration is focused on the qualification of binder jet powders optimized exclusively for Desktop Metal solutions, including the production system, the workshop system and the ExOne printing platforms. Together, the companies are studying the interactions between powder and binder and will release print profiles with fully characterized mechanical properties for a variety of materials including stainless steels, nickel-based superalloys, and reactive metals such as aluminum. .
To speed up material qualification and improve collaboration between companies, Uniformity Labs installed several Desktop Metal systems at its Fremont, Calif. Facility, including a workshop system and a P-1 production system. The partnership has already resulted in the qualification of several high performance engineering powders for Desktop Metal’s warehouse system, which are commercially available to customers exclusively through Desktop Metal as part of its turnkey warehouse system solution. Topologically designed powders by Uniformity Labs for Desktop Metal’s production system and ExOne platforms will be available directly through
Uniformity laboratories.
“We are delighted to unveil this strategic partnership with Uniformity Labs, which provides pioneering material solutions that will advance the AM industry,” said Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “Binder jet powders treated with Uniformity Labs technology offer unmatched mechanical properties and can further improve printing profitability. We look forward to working with the team at Uniformity Labs to optimize binder jet powders exclusively for AM 2.0 solutions and provide our customers with integrated offerings including hardware, software and materials that enable robust adoption of AM for mass production.
Uniformity Labs and Desktop Metal also previously announced a dedicated multi-year effort to develop 6061 aluminum for the binder jet which produced a revolutionary pure powder that sinter better than forged yield strength and ultimate tensile strength with excellent elongation. The companies plan to continue working together to qualify 6061 aluminum powder on Desktop Metal’s production system platform and production scale for commercial release.
“This partnership strengthens our continued collaboration with Desktop Metal to deliver incredible value to our customers who want to adopt next-generation AM solutions,” said Adam Hopkins, Founder and CEO of Uniformity Labs. “We are delighted to continue working with Desktop Metal to qualify our high performance engineering powders which provide superior mechanical properties, surface finish and part reliability. “
