It can be used in temperatures up to the region of 1,200°C and is suitable for processing in the EOSINT M 280 metal system. It is typically processed with a layer-thickness of 20 µm.
“The material is particularly well suited for deployment in applications that are exposed to high thermal forces, giving rise to a significant risk of oxidization,” said Christiane Krempl, product marketing manager metals at EOS. “Typical areas of deployment that we are seeing include aerospace, for example, with combustion chambers and their components parts. The material is also ideal for use in heating elements, in conveyor ovens, or industrial blast furnaces.”
Andreas Graichen, product developer (gas turbines) at Siemens Energy, added: “We use EOS' additive manufacturing process for constructing prototypes, for 'rapid manufacturing', and 'rapid repair'. Thanks to this technology, we are able to cut repair times and thereby reduce costs for customers commissioning us in the repair of industrial gas turbines." In the construction process, Siemens Energy uses the Nickel Alloy HX. According to Graichen, its material properties make it ideally suited for repair works, as it is able to withstand the high temperatures to which the gas turbines are constantly exposed. For the repair, the complete burner is brought into the tailor-made EOS Metal System. "We leave the structure intact, remove the outer 20 mm, and then simply print a new combustion-head," Graichen explained. "This process ensures significant savings both in terms of repair times and costs.”
Parts built from EOS NickelAlloy HX can be subsequently heat-treated in order to partially modify the characteristics of the material. Whether hardened or in their original built form, parts can be finished as required, and surplus unexposed material can be re-used.
