White paper: Metal-powder feedstock factors that merit industry attention

The consistency of powder-metal feedstock is critical to successful metal 3D printing, says the publisher of a new white paper. Equispheres

Equispheres, an Ottawa, Ontario, developer of metal powders, has released a white paper about the important role of feedstock to successful additive manufacturing applications.

“The additive manufacturing industry has long understood that certain bulk characteristics of the feedstock powder, such as flowability and packing density, have an impact on the mechanical performance of the printed part,” said the company’s vice president of strategic partnerships, Doug Brouse. “But what has not been clear is how much these bulk features matter and precisely what specific powder-particle properties are required to achieve them.”

The paper, titled “The Problem with Additive Metal Manufacturing,” outlines nine measurable factors that directly influence metal AM printing speed, part strength, reliability, consistency, and end-part quality. Data points are provided for all variables for comparison.

The paper can be downloaded at the company’s website.