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Elementum 3D launches new high-strength aluminum alloy that eliminates the need for heat treatment

High-Strength Aluminium Alloy A5083-Ram5

Elementum 3D, is set to launch its revolutionary A5083-RAM5 aluminum alloy at the upcoming Rapid + TCT 2023 event, taking place from May 2-4. Developed in part with the support of the US Army, this innovative alloy provides exceptional printability, highly consistent properties, and impressive strength, all without requiring heat treatment.

Traditionally, wrought aluminum alloy 5083 has been known for its high strength and corrosion resistance, making it a top choice for applications in seawater and other harsh environments. However, its composition has historically made it unsuitable for use in fusion-based additive manufacturing processes due to solidification cracking.

Utilizing patented reactive additive manufacturing (RAM) technology, these limitations have been overcome by synthesizing nanoscale reinforcements during the printing process to create a fine equiaxed microstructure with superior properties and printability. As a result, A5083-RAM5 exhibits consistent tensile properties in both horizontal and vertical orientations, as well as in as-printed and stress-relieved states. The RAM additions result in significantly higher strengths than wrought 5083 products, with as-printed A5083-RAM5 demonstrating an impressive 1.8x the yield strength of strain-hardened wrought 5083-H116 and, in the stress relieved state, delivering a remarkable 2.9x the yield strength of wrought 5083-O.

The release of A5083-RAM5 enables manufacturers to print advanced components from a high-strength aluminum alloy with reduced post-processing time and cost. Moreover, the alloy does not contain any rare elements leading to a robust supply chain. Printed A5083-RAM5 is designed for use in any applications wrought 5083 alloy is traditionally used including pressure vessels, marine components, aerospace components, energy sector applications, as well as applications that benefit from the higher strength and design complexity offered by A5083-RAM and AM processing.

This research was funded in part by the US Army under contract #W911NF20C0012 by the ARMY Research office ARO. This product is based in part upon work supported by the U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research Program Office and the Army Research Office under Contract No. W911NF20C0012. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research Program Office or the Army Research Office.

Jamie Perozzi

VP of Technology 6K Additive

Mr. Perozzi has 20+ years of specialty metals experience with a focus on process, new product development, product management, and application engineering. Before joining 6K, Perozzi spent seven years at AMETEK Specialty Metal Products responsible for quality and process engineering. Prior to Ametek, he spent 10 years at Hitachi Metals – Metglas and 3 years at J&L Specialty Steel. Perozzi holds a BS Metallurgical Engineering degree from Penn State University.

Dr. Timothy Smith

Materials Research Engineer NASA Glenn Research Center

Tim Smith graduated with a PhD in materials science and engineering from Ohio State University in 2016. After graduating, his pathways internship at NASA Glenn research center became a full-time position. His research focuses on high temperature alloy development and characterization. He has contributed to 29 peer-reviewed publications including journals in Nature Communications and Nature Communications Materials. His research has also produced 10 new technology reports and 3 utility patents. He recently received both the Early Career Achievement Medal in 2020 and the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2022.

Dr. Douglas Hoffman

Senior Research Scientist (SRS)/ Principal Section Technologist NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Dr. Douglas Hofmann is a Senior Research Scientist and Principal at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he serves as the Section Technologist for the Mechanical Fabrication and Test Section. He is also a Lecturer and Visiting Associate at Caltech in the Applied Physics and Materials Science Department. Dr. Hofmann founded JPL’s Metallurgy Facility in 2010, was a charter member of the Materials Development and Manufacturing Technology Group, and helped establish the JPL Additive Manufacturing Center. He is the Principal Investigator of the NASA FAMIS Flight Experiment and was a 2012 recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Obama. He has spent more than 12 years working in metal additive manufacturing and has over 30 granted patents and over 60 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein

President/Founder Elementum 3D

Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein is the founder and president of Elementum 3D in Erie, CO. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy at the Colorado School of Mines. Jacob has been researching, teaching, or consulting on topics such as casting and powder metallurgy for the last 14 years. Elementum 3D’s work with powder bed laser additive manufacturing is based on these principles. In addition, is thesis work in thermodynamics and formation kinetics of metal matrix composites is directly related to all 3D printing processes.