Additive Manufacturing Solutions CEO Rob Higham is joined by John Barnes, the founder of Metal Powder Works and President of The Barnes Global Advisors. 

Together, they deep dive into the world of metal additive manufacturing powders, covering the development of powders specific to AM processes, the varying needs of DED, powder bed fusion, and binder jet, and the need for progress to be made in the recyclability of metal powders. 

Metal powder is crucial as the primary raw material used to create 3D objects layer by layer in additive manufacturing (AM). Many traditional manufacturing methods for raw feedstock powders involve high energy consumption. Metal Powder Works (Clinton, PA) and the University of Pittsburgh have teamed up to explore using copper powder in binder jet 3D printing (BJP), an additive manufacturing method that requires significantly less energy than other methods.

Making the metal powders used by many 3D printing processes usually involves melting the material first — but this requires large amounts of energy; generates excess, out-of-size powders; and may not be cost-effective for materials needed in smaller quantities. Powder production that does not require melting can be more economical and more sustainable alternative especially for new or unusual alloys.

The future of Additive Manufacturing lies in part production at scale. Innovation must, therefore, focus on how to reduce part cost and improve performance. Unlike other mannufacturing processes, wight is time in AM - and time is money; raw material costs take a back seat when it comes to overall part cost. Here, Jonathan Meyer (APWORKS) and John Barnes (Metal Powder Works) explore the case for scandium-based aluminium alloys for AM from both technical and economic perspectives.

Additive manufacturing has immense promise as a solution for spare parts, castings and various other items plagued by supply chain delays and shortages. But acting on this promise first requires a considerable amount of groundwork. Just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a project is coming together to lay that groundwork for the production of critical defense parts.

The famous rock ballad by the Scorpions, Winds of Change is my inspiration. I would change it to the “Gas Path of Change” but then that is really hard to lyricize to. We can rock out (and whistle) the intro together in person as I will be at the upcoming Additive Manufacturing Strategies in NYC where The Barnes Global Advisors is a sponsor this year. I will be moderating the panel on “Metals in AM” on behalf of Metal Powder Works.

6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc. and leader in the sustainable production of materials for additive manufacturing and metal alloys and Metal Powder Works (MPW), the leader in solid state powder production, announced today at the Formnext conference the signing of an MOU and strategic partnership to produce pure copper, copper alloys, leading to strategically important powders such as copper/nickel, and bronze alloy powders for additive manufacturing.

In a groundbreaking collaboration that will move the needle on the future of powder production for the advanced manufacturing industry, Solvus Global and Metal Powder Works are announcing a strategic alliance in the development of new materials. A pivotal aspect of this collaboration is Solvus Global's acquisition of a MPW’s DirectPowder™ system, the first unit to be placed outside MPW's Pittsburgh production facility.

John Barnes has been involved in additive manufacturing for about 30 years, and he now wears several hats that place him in the center of Pittsburgh’s additive manufacturing ecosystem, from consulting to actually making things. One solution is Neighborhood 91, the airport-based hub for additive manufacturing in the Pittsburgh region, where Barnes’ Metal Powder Works is located.

Neighborhood 91, the additive manufacturing campus adjacent to the Pittsburgh airport, celebrated the opening of two new tenants on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Solutions provider HAMR Industries and materials manufacturer Metal Powder Works each welcomed visitors for ribbon cuttings and tours of their facilities, located side-by-side in the first building of the campus.

The manufacturing landscape of tomorrow needs to address global challenges in environmental sustainability, supply chain resilience, and cost-efficiency. Metal additive manufacturing processes play a significant role in addressing these challenges holistically, from raw materials to the final part.

There remain only 16 release AMS specifications for metal powder. As additive manufacturing’s influence permeates wider industrial circles and more companies consider the benefits it may bring, providing them with the knowledge and tools to push further innovation will be imperative. John Barnes discusses how his two businesses are driving integral change in the field.

Additive Manufacturing continues to make progress as a manufacturing technology, mostly with the help of more awareness and more productive machines. As Additive Manufacturing technologies race to become faster and more affordable while achieving high quality, it becomes easier to make a business case to convert parts away from legacy processes. Most of the focus is on the manufacturing step, because it can be the single largest cost in the processing of an AM part – but should that be the sole focus?

Metal Powders Works has announced it is the newest resident of Neighborhood 91, the additive manufacturing production campus located at Pittsburgh International Airport. The 10,000-square-foot space will function as MPW’s main production facility, improving production capacity by a factor of 8X. This move signals a significant shift to an operations focus for MPW as the company winds down fundamental development.

A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of the Metal Powder Works (MPW) DirectPowder™ Process in comparison to traditional atomization techniques used to produce metal powders for additive manufacturing applications. Publicly available literature was used as data sources for benchmarking water and gas atomization processes as well as the impact of using renewable energy sources.