High-strength lightweight new 3D printing aluminum alloy

Airbus and Toyota, two world famous companies, have different things to play, one is a plane and the other is a car, but they have all actively embraced 3D printing technology. So naturally, both came together in this regard.

On November 27, 2017, the Antarctic Bear learned that APWORKS, a subsidiary of Airbus that specializes in 3D printing business, will work with Toyota to continue the development and production and sales of new high-strength aluminum-magnesium-bismuth alloys developed by Airbus for 3D printing. - Scalmalloy.

Scalmalloy is the world's first aluminum alloy material specially developed for the SLM (Selective Laser Fusion) 3D printing technology and has a unique microstructure with a tensile strength of up to 520 MPa, a density of 2.67 g/cc, and elongation at break. At 13%, both fatigue resistance, weldability, strength/weight ratio, and ductility are better than ordinary aluminum alloys (strength can even be comparable to titanium alloys), in addition to high cooling rates at high temperatures Keep stable. Therefore, it is very suitable for aerospace, defense and transportation.

In fact, as early as 2015, Airbus used Scalmalloy 3D to print a cabin structure that successfully helped reduce the weight of the A320 passenger aircraft. On May 20, 2016, the company used this material to print the Light Rider, the world's first bionic electric motorcycle. Its strength is no less than ordinary motorcycles, but only 35 kilograms, very light. And not so long ago, APWORKS has just reached a similar cooperation with the famous British metal powder manufacturer LPW, the contents of which is the mass production of Scalmalloy. From this we can see how great the potential of this new alloy is.

It is reported that in this cooperation, Toyota will use its expertise to produce Scalmalloy alloy and then sell it through its own global sales network. At the same time, they will further study the potential of Scalmalloy's composition and optimize its production process. “We believe that Toyota is a good partner and can help us continue to provide and develop Scalmalloy alloys for our customers,” said Sven Lauxm Ann, head of sales and marketing at APWORKS. “Our goal is to market this new model around the world. Alloys, which are available to customers from aerospace to robotics.”