Constellium Chooses Poly-Shape As The First User Of Its New Aheadd Powder

AddUp, has been chosen to develop exclusively the first manufacturing recipes and produce the first parts with this new powder range for metal 3D printing.

Last June, the Constellium SE Group, a world leader in high-performance aluminum products, announced the launch of a range specifically designed for additive manufacturing. An announcement that naturally raises high expectations among all aeronautics, space, defense, and motorsport manufacturers who use this technology. And it is AddUp, through its subsidiary Poly-Shape, that has been chosen to develop exclusively the first manufacturing recipes and produce the first parts with this new powder range.

According to Constellium, the new Aheadd® powder offers unparalleled thermal stability, which would place it as an alternative to titanium for many applications, as it would allow interesting mass reductions at a lower cost.

Poly-Shape experts have developed technological demonstrators in the form of hydraulic blocks to evaluate the capabilities of this new aluminum powder. This was an opportunity to verify that the parts have a high-temperature resistance and good mechanical properties, but also to confirm the usefulness of using a powder developed specifically for additive manufacturing, in terms of performance during printing.

Beyond the technical aspects, the whole company takes great pride in being selected as the exclusive partner of Constellium on this project. “This is the result of the flexibility of our structures, our responsiveness, and the high quality of our teams, especially in the research and development sector. From the beginning, our strong R&D culture has placed innovation at the center of the company, meeting the expectations of demanding high-tech industries,” said Stephane Abed, Director of Strategy at AddUp.