Unlocking the Future: Powdered Metal Manufacturing

Vacuum atomized

At a glance

• High purity
• Uniform particle size
• Low oxidation
• Highest quality

Vacuum Atomization produces metal powders of exceptional purity by melting and atomizing the material in a controlled vacuum environment. The absence of atmospheric exposure effectively suppresses oxidation throughout the entire process, yielding powders with minimal oxygen content and a clean, uncontaminated surface.

The vacuum conditions also promote highly uniform particle formation. Consistent droplet breakup and controlled solidification result in narrow particle size distributions — a critical factor for downstream processes such as pressing, sintering, or additive manufacturing.

The combination of high purity, low oxidation, and tight particle size control positions vacuum atomization as the method of choice wherever material integrity and reproducible powder quality are paramount.

Gas atomized

At a glance

• Ideal for high-end use
• Good control of properties
• Wide range of materials

Gas Atomization offers precise control over powder characteristics across a wide range of metallic materials — from standard alloys to high-performance specialty metals. By directing high-pressure inert gas streams onto a molten metal flow, the process produces spherical powders with well-defined particle size distributions and consistent morphology.

The flexibility of gas atomization makes it suitable for processing reactive and high-melting-point alloys alike, without compromising powder quality. Adjustable process parameters — including gas pressure, nozzle geometry, and melt flow rate — allow properties such as particle size, density, and flowability to be tailored to specific application requirements.

The resulting powders meet the stringent demands of high-end applications in aerospace, medical technology, and advanced manufacturing, where material consistency and performance reliability are non-negotiable.

Water atomized

At a glance

• High purity
• Uniform particle size
• Low oxidation
• Highest quality

Water Atomization is the established high-volume process for metal powder production, combining economic efficiency with process flexibility. High-pressure water jets disintegrate the molten metal stream into fine particles, enabling continuous operation at production scales that gas or vacuum-based methods cannot match in terms of output and cost per kilogram.

Particle size can be adjusted across a broad range by varying water pressure and flow geometry, making the process adaptable to a wide spectrum of application requirements — from coarse powders for structural parts to finer fractions for surface coatings and infiltration applications.

The lower operational costs relative to inert-gas or vacuum processes make water atomization the preferred choice wherever large quantities are required without compromising on consistent powder quality.

• Chemical composition
  The basis for generating the material‘s fundamental properties
• Particle distribution
  This influences processability and significantly impacts the required process energy.
• Flowability and density
  These determine how well the powder can be dosed and processed.
• Oxygen content and other trace elements
  These must remain below the limit values to avoid
  negatively affecting the material properties.

Alloys for generative and additive processes

• Additive layer manufacturing
• PTA powder cladding systems