Cincinnati, Ohio – April 17, 2024: AddUp, global additive manufacturing OEM and leader in advanced manufacturing solutions announces the most well-known precipitation hardening steel, 17-4 PH alloy, can now be used on their FormUp 350 powder bed fusion (PBF) machine. This material has been widely used in medical, aerospace, chemical and petrochemical applications.
AddUp is continuously working on adding new materials to its material portfolio to meet application requirements for their customers in a cost-effective way. Recently qualifying 17-4 PH for FormUp 350 machines, this material can be certified to ISO 7153/1 (ASTM F899) which makes it suitable for a wide range of medical applications such as surgical instruments, medical screwdrivers, and dental burs.
Swathi Vunnam, AddUp’s Materials Engineering Manager, explains, “17-4 PH stainless steel exhibits full martensitic properties when processed conventionally. However, when additively manufactured layer-by-layer, it presents microstructural anisotropy, which can be homogenized through standard heat treatments. This unique characteristic allows for precise engineering of the microstructure, resulting in an optimal balance of strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance.”
Equipped with a large build volume for enhanced productivity, roller recoating technology ensuring superior surface finish, and a fully automated, closed-loop Autonomous Powder Module (APM) power handling system, AddUp’s FormUp 350 is ideally suited for leveraging the capabilities of 17-4 PH stainless steel. Moreover, AddUp offers comprehensive support from application discovery to development, qualification, and full industrial-scale production. Their proficient technical team collaborates closely with customers to tailor materials to specific application requirements, while in-house material testing capabilities expedite the development process.
