Metal powder applications

Additive Manufacturing

Metal powders are widely used as a material for additive manufacturing. Selective laser melting (SLM) for example, is an enhanced powder metallurgy process that follows a computer-aided design (CAD) to direct a high-powered laser to melt and then fuse metallic powders together in a layer-by-layer manner to form a final part. This process is widely used in aerospace, automotive, and medical industries to make prototypes, lightweight components, and complex parts.

Alloying and Plating

Metal powders like bismuth, nickel, and manganese are used as an alloying additive to create stronger and corrosion-free steel. Cadmium oxide powders are used for lubricants and bearings, as well as in plating steel and glazing ceramics.