What I have learned this week:

Every week I learn something new that makes me more optimistic and excited about the future of heat treatment and surface engineering. This week, I learned more about Binder Jetting printing - Additive Manufacturing technic and the importance of heat treatment for this technology. Below is a table on the advantages and disadvantages between different AM technologies and MIM.

Binder Jetting equipment manufactured by Digital Metals are able to print with the speed of 100 cm3/hour, with 35 micron resolution with an average roughness of Ra 6 micron (Source: AM Magazine, Spring 2018, Vol4/1 page 106 and CETIM). Bidder Jet process produce parts that need de-binding and sintering heat treatment after part creation. Furnaces for these processes need to be designed with precise temperature uniformity and multi-gas capability.  Ipsen’s Titan DS with de-binding system will perfectly fulfill AM requirement. Go to www.ipsenusa.com for more info.

Ipsen is working on revolutionary new coatings that will improve additive manufacturing parts corrosion resistance, wear resistance, resistance to oxidation at high temperature ranges with perfect mechanical properties. New surface coatings such as IVD of aluminum and Titanium hybrid diffusion coatings can be applied on parts with complicated shapes with +/- 10% or better uniformity. Below is sample of IVD coating on fastener.

Hybrid Titanium diffusion coating advantage is that even after surface coating cracking a free particle will not separate from core material. This is especially important in medical devices and implants such artificial heart valves. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit our website at www.ipsenusa.com.