European value-added aluminium firm Constellium NV announced a partnership this week with California additive manufacturing firm Morf3D, Inc. to provide its proprietary aluminium powder Aheadd CP1.
Constellium revealed few details of the agreement, but it did indicate that it would be providing the Nikon Corporation subsidiary its specialty aluminium powder for production of parts for the aviation, space, and defense industries.
Alireza Arbab, Head of Additive Manufacturing for Constellium, said in a related press release that the deal was momentous for both firms.
“We are very excited to partner with Morf3D, a leading company in additive manufacturing, on the qualification and development of applications using our Aheadd CP1 aluminium powder. Constellium recognized a gap in aluminium powder options for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and has developed new powders specifically for this AM process. We are confident that this program will highlight the benefits of Aheadd CP1 and help set new standards for aluminium component production using LPBF.”
Dr. Behrang Poorganji, VP of Materials Technology at Morf3D, explained why his firm chose Constellium as a supplier.
“To achieve the highest performance and productivity in metal additive manufacturing, we need materials and alloys which can respond to the growing demand for extreme application functionalities and performance, as well as balancing economic equations. Morf3D’s vision as a world leader in additive manufacturing solution integration starts with materials and spans the entire additive manufacturing ecosystem. We are delighted to partner with Constellium as a recognized world leader in aluminium manufacturing on material qualification and commercialization of their newly designed family of aluminum alloys for several AM applications and industries, including aviation, space, and defense.”
Constellium, based in France, was founded 1855 as Henri Merle et Compagnie and subsequently renamed Pechiney in 1950. Pechiney was purchased by Alcan in 2003, which was purchased by Rio Tinto in 2007. In 2011 Rio Tinto sold Alcan Engineered Products to Apollo Management (51%) and FSI (10%). Constellium produces rolled and extruded aluminium products from various alloys, bringing in €6.2 billion of revenue in 2021.
Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 is specially designed for additive manufacturing by offering thermal and electrical conductivity like that of elemental aluminium as well as high ductility and superior surface finishing characteristics. Aheadd CP1 is also a cost-effective material, as it reduces post-processing and speeds the printing process.
