Sandvik and BEAMIT join forces at Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt to showcase the companies combined offering in metal powder and additive manufacturing. Together, the companies have leading capabilities across the whole additive manufacturing value chain, from metal powders to finished components.

Earlier this year, Sandvik acquired a significant stake in BEAMIT, a leading European additive manufacturing (AM) service provider. The joint Sandvik-BEAMIT booth at Formnext (19-22 November 2019 in Frankfurt) features several industrial additive customer use-cases in a range of materials, produced with different additive processes along with Sandvik’s range of Osprey metal powders, which includes nickel-based superalloys and titanium. These high-grade powders can be used to produce light but durable components with incredible internal geometries that maximize their performance characteristics.

The Sandvik BEAMIT booth (Hall 11.0, Stand B11-B19) features a few high-profile 3D-printed components that underline the pace of technological advance in the additive manufacturing sector. These include the world’s first 3D-printed diamond composite. This super-hard material is produced using an advanced proprietary Sandvik-process, printing in a slurry consisting of diamond powder and polymer using a method called stereolithography, where complex parts are produced, layer by layer, using ultraviolet light. A tailor-made, post-processing method then makes it possible to achieve the exacting properties of the super-hard diamond composite.

“Until now, the production of super-hard diamond materials has only allowed for a few simple geometric configurations to be formed. But the new process means it is now possible to 3D-print diamond composites into almost any shape, which can revolutionize the way industries use the hardest natural material on the planet,” says Mikael Schuisky, VP and Head of R&D and Operations, Sandvik Additive Manufacturing. Another innovation on display at Formnext 2019 is a 3D-printed, smash-proof guitar (in titanium, of course), tested by rock legend Yngwie Malmsteen, and produced earlier this year as a means of showcasing the highly precise and amazingly durable nature of the additive manufacturing process and the strength of titanium.

BEAMIT is, among other things, displaying the award-winning Lunar motorbike, with several 3D printed parts. The bike has a futuristic approach, combining vintage details such as a steel frame and a massive 2-stroke engine, with additively manufactured parts in structural applications such as a carbon fiber sub-frame, a carbon fiber and 3D printed titanium rear swingarm, as well as a 3D printed aluminum front fork mounts, to mention a few.

Another innovation on display from Sandvik is the 3D printed lightweight CoroMill 390 titanium milling cutter, which is produced through additive manufacturing, reducing its weight by 80% and increasing its productivity by up to 200%. Sandvik has also produced 3D-printed parts in super duplex steel Osprey 2507-AM, with hardness and corrosion resistance properties that make them ideal for the harsh conditions encountered in the offshore and marine industries.

Sandvik Additive Manufacturing
www.additive.sandvik