On October 21, 2023, industrial 3D printing technology company EOS will soon launch a new aluminum alloy called Al5X1, which has high elongation and strength and can be heat treated, eliminating the need for quenching steps, thereby achieving cost savings.
△Aluminum alloy 3D printed parts diagram
The company says skipping the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) step is another cost-saving advantage given the high cost of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines. EOS believes these cost savings will make the material popular in the aerospace sector, while also helping it succeed in more challenging markets such as automotive and electronics. Al5X1 has a tensile strength of 410 MPa and an elongation of 14%. It has broad and diversified application potential.
△3D printed porous titanium implants
A Limited History of Metal 3D Printing
We have been making parts out of titanium alloys for some time, specifically Ti64. This is of great interest in the field of dental and orthopedic implants. But suddenly, aluminum is also a hot topic. This is a bit strange, since aluminum plays a key role in the aviation industry but gets little media attention.
AlSi10Mg is an aluminum alloy material that is very important in the field of 3D printing, but is not common in other manufacturing fields. Then German metal 3D printing company AP Works introduced Scalmalloy, a material that significantly improved part performance levels. What’s more, by increasing machine speed, processing time and costs are also reduced. Since then, various types of aluminum materials have made their way into additive manufacturing. While many of these are designed specifically for the aerospace industry, they also appeal to final part production for a wider range of applications.
New breakthrough in EOS aluminum
Al5X1 enhances existing aluminum products with its versatile properties. Not only can this material be heat treated, electrolytically polished and anodized, it also has excellent corrosion resistance properties, which adds to its value. At the same time, its vivid and colorful anodizing capabilities enhance aesthetics, while fewer processing steps and fast machine turnaround make it cost-effective. Due to these characteristics, Al5X1 has shown strong competitiveness in multiple fields, including bicycle parts, drones, motorcycles, cars, antennas, and consumer products such as headphones.
△3D printed heat exchanger
Dr Ankit Saharan, Senior Manager Metals Technology at EOS, said: “The combination of high strength and high elongation of aluminum alloys is critical in manufacturing, especially the aerospace sector, but it is equally important to deliver this combination of properties at a reasonable cost. What’s also interesting is that the material’s ability to be anodized makes it very attractive to OEMs, especially in the consumer electronics space. These manufacturers are looking to produce products in different colors to suit customer preferences, and has excellent corrosion resistance,”
The potential for this material to be used in 3D printed items such as car switches and bicycle seat posts is exciting, and also provides opportunities for car customization, specialist auto parts and innovative vehicle production.
Additionally, the application of 3D printing to heat exchangers represents important opportunities to improve performance and reduce weight. Heat exchangers play a key role in the defense and space sectors, especially complex heat exchanger types such as shell tubes and fins. This new material has important implications for these applications as well as wider industrial production, providing a valuable resource for these areas.
