(6K Additive: Burgettstown, PA) -- 6K Additive and the German technology company TRUMPF announced that TRUMPF has qualified 6K Additive’s titanium metal powder for use in the TruPrint additive manufacturing systems. Both organizations have a strong customer base in aerospace, and initiatives toward sustainability. This new qualification will help customers leverage the premium titanium powder for their applications with the assurance that printed parts will meet their most stringent requirements and will have the lowest environmental impact.

“At TRUMPF we are dedicated to making our customer’s experience with our TruPrint systems deliver the highest level of performance, and this includes the powder they use for their metal parts,” says Dennis Pede, material engineer and scientist at TRUMPF. “TruPrint systems are open systems, allowing our customers to use the powder of their choice. However, for optimal process conditions and material properties, we recommend suitable material powders and work closely with our partners. Additionally, more and more of our customers are asking us for metrics on the environmental footprint of our machines and the process. Having 6K Additive’s titanium sustainable powder added as an approved qualified powder ensures that customers get the quality assurance with the added value of driving down their CO₂ footprint.”

Frank Roberts, president of 6K Additive, says, “We continue to hear from our aerospace and defense customers asking us to help lower the barriers for qualification for their applications. The collaboration between our two companies did just that by ensuring that the machine and powder are qualified ahead of their own internal qualification, which will streamline the customer’s process into production faster. We are excited to work with the TRUMPF team on titanium and other powders in our portfolio going forward.”

6K Additive is the world’s first producer of AM powder made from highly sustainable sources—offering a full suite of premium metal and alloy powders, including nickel, titanium, copper, stainless steel, and refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium, and rhenium. Backed by the award-winning UniMelt production-scale microwave plasma process, the technology precisely spheroidizes metal powders while controlling the chemistry and porosity of the final product with zero contamination and high throughput.

An independent LCA study (click here to download) validates that the approach makes it possible to achieve reductions in energy use and carbon emissions of 90% for its nickel-based alloys, and a 75% reduction in titanium alloys.

Companies interested in working with 6K Additive regarding their specific powder requirements can visit 6K Additive’s website at 6KAdditive.com.