Kennametal Inc. to Advance Binder Jetting Capabilities in Tungsten Carbide

GE Additives announced that Kennametal Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA has become the latest member of its Beta Partner Program. As part of the GE Additives program, Kennametal will further increase its Binder Jetting (BJT) capabilities in tungsten carbide as it continues to expand its end-to-end metal additive manufacturing business.

Kennametal offers complete Additive Manufacturing solutions, from high-performance metal powders to the production of additive manufactured parts and tools. Its metal AM parts have been adopted by a wide range of customers in a variety of industries including oil and gas, energy, industrial processing, and transportation.

Kennametal Inc. will work with GE Additives to identify, design, and scale-up specific applications for volume production on GE's Binder Jetting systems using Kennametal's proprietary cemented carbide materials.

Jay Verellen, general manager of Kennametal Additive Manufacturing, said, "Our customers are increasingly seeking 3D printed tungsten carbide and Stellite cobalt-chromium alloy solutions to help them maximize productivity in challenging applications where wear and corrosion resistance are critical. Our partnership with GE Additives on Binder Jet solutions will allow us to further expand our business to meet strong customer demand and extend our leadership position in additive proprietary material solutions."

GE Additive is continuing to develop its Binder Jet solution to make additive manufacturing a reality in volume production, with the goal of producing millions of parts per year, if not more. Key to this development is the continued, hands-on input from members of GE Additive's Binder Jet Beta Partner Program.

"By practice, we don't mean tinkering or experimenting. We work closely with our test customers as they develop their own, real-world business cases, applications, and parts. It's important to them that our solutions are not only proven and scalable but also capable and complete, fit their product innovation strategy and meet production volume requirements," added Brian Birkmeyer, Binder Jet product line leader at GE Additives.

"We are honored that Kennametal, the industry leader in 3D printed tungsten carbide, is working closely with us to develop our Binder Jet platform. Ensuring that we are aligned with Kennametal's production expectations and requirements is a top priority." Birkmeyer concluded, "Their long-standing expertise in materials science matches ours, and our team is excited to work together to deliver new and innovative solutions."

Binder jetting is an additive manufacturing process in which an industrial printhead selectively deposits a liquid binding agent onto a thin layer of powder particles (foundry sand, ceramics, metal, or composites) to build high-value and one-of-a-kind parts and tooling.

• < Prev
• Next >