Following the project’s success, the consortium is working on the next challenge: transferring the technology to the markets.
The arrival to the market of certain additive manufacturing technologies, and, more specifically, those aimed at the processing of aluminium-based components, is being slower than expected due to quality and integrity problems of the elements and due to the difficulty of processing high-strength aluminium alloys motivated by the specific characteristics of additive processes, which generate very heterogeneous structures and cracking defects.
The alloys used today have been developed in line with more traditional technologies. Therefore, it has become necessary to create specific alloys adapted to the unique working conditions of additive manufacturing processes. The additive manufacturing industry is aware that, as long as the raw material does not meet specific criteria directly related to the manufacturing process, the results will not be satisfactory. This demands an urgent solution from the scientific-technological community.
The consortium formed by UPV/EHU, IMH and TECNALIA has been selected to address the challenge by uniting knowledge and capabilities in computational methods, development of metal alloys and additive manufacturing processes. The result is a family of aluminium-based metal alloys; family of ALAM alloys, processable by powder bed technologies (SLM); and selective addition (LMD and WAAM), which will allow companies to expand the current portfolio.
Further information
- Following the project’s success, the consortium is working on the next challenge: transferring the technology to the markets.
- The Basque Government has funded the initiative under the Collaborative Research Grants Program in Strategic Areas (ALAM 2019/00069).
