Additive manufacturing with metal: Customised solutions for the highest demands

Whether dental crowns, orthopaedic prostheses or complex components in the aerospace industry – companies in the medical technology and high-tech sectors in particular are faced with extremely high material requirements. The solution: CoCr alloys. They have long been the standard for applications such as crowns, bridges, dental frameworks or removable partial dentures. Why? Because they guarantee the highest requirements such as biocompatibility and purity as well as durability and reliability.

At the same time, in combination with selected processing methods, these materials allow a high degree of design freedom – a decisive factor in developing patient-specific solutions. Whether complex geometries or delicate structures: metal powders in additive manufacturing open up new possibilities for dental technicians and manufacturers.

Selective laser melting: precision in every detail and process

Selective laser melting is usually used for the production of dental parts. In this process, our optimised metal powder is used in a finely tuned grain size with special consideration of the chemical composition. A high-precision laser ensures that the metal powder is melted layer by layer until the component is finished. After the printing process, a component-specific heat treatment can be carried out to reduce material stresses.

Additive manufacturing in aerospace

Two things are particularly important in the aerospace industry: strength and lightweight construction. Our powders bring precisely these properties to additive manufacturing. Thanks to manufacturing technologies such as selective laser melting or laser cladding, a metal component can be produced precisely and resource-efficiently using lasers. The innovative combination of design freedom and functional properties opens up completely new possibilities – and continues to push the boundaries of manufacturing technology. Complexity is no longer seen as a cost driver, but as an opportunity for innovation.

3D printing can be used to produce components with maximum functionality while optimising the use of materials. This not only saves weight and resources, but also reduces production costs. For designers and engineers, this means that they gain new freedoms through additive manufacturing – and at the same time fulfil the requirements of financial experts.

Customised metal solutions for your applications

At Deloro, we have a broad portfolio of CoCr alloys for additive manufacturing. Our aim is not just to supply standard materials, but to develop holistic solutions that are perfectly tailored to our customers’ needs. Our diverse range of powders can be flexibly adapted to various additive manufacturing processes.

Our certification in accordance with medical and nuclear guidelines ensures that even the most demanding norms and standards are met. ‘It is particularly important to us to create the perfect balance of material, process and application for each customer – for solutions that inspire and last in the long term,’ explains Dr Horst Hill, Head of R&D Materials.

One example of our innovative strength is Stellite® 21, which is ideal for additive manufacturing thanks to its optimised carbon content – especially in toolmaking. Here, as in the automotive industry, there is growing interest in 3D printing solutions that impress with their efficiency and precision.

Additive manufacturing with us: efficiency through state-of-the-art manufacturing processes

We also use additive manufacturing technologies in our own production to shorten development times and increase our efficiency. One example is rapid prototyping, which we use to produce complex or new components quickly and precisely in wax mould construction. This allows us to test prototypes immediately and significantly reduce development times.

Another innovative process that we use is laser cladding. This precise manufacturing process is based on the principle of build-up welding and enables large components to be coated with wear and corrosion-resistant layers using a laser. The result of this process: longer service life, increased performance and a valuable contribution to the conservation of resources.

The future of additive manufacturing: continuous development of new technologies?

The possibilities of additive manufacturing are far from exhausted. Even if there are currently still limits in the processing of certain materials or in the production of large quantities, we are already working on future-proof solutions – together with our customers.

‘I am convinced that we will see great progress in the field of additive manufacturing in the coming years,’ says Dr Horst Hill. ‘With our CoCr alloys and close collaboration with our partners, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.’

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