Additive manufacturing (AM) company VELO3D has commercially released a way to 3D print parts made of aluminum F357 on the company’s Sapphire metal 3D printing system.
Aluminum F357, which is foundry-grade, is now suitable for the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process which enables 3D printing of parts that have traditionally been manufactured using casting practices, the company said. The metal alloy can be anodized and shares characteristics with A356, a widely used casting alloy.
VELO3D says that aluminum F357 for 3D printing was developed jointly with PWR, a supplier of cooling solutions to Formula 1. ‘We chose aluminum F357 due to its ideal material properties to suit thermal performance, machining and weldability,’ said Matthew Bryson, general manager for PWR. ‘Our ability to print free-form and lightweight structures for heat transfer applications with our Sapphire system from VELO3D will further enhance performance and packaging optimization opportunities for our product range.’
This story uses material from VELO3D, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
