On March 18, 3D Systems announced a partnership with Newport News Shipbuilding to produce a copper-nickel alloy that can be used in powder bed fusion printers. The agreement will allow Newport, one of the U.S. Navy’s top shipbuilders, to reduce delivery times by as much as 75 percent.
Dave Bolcar, vice president of engineering and design at Newport, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with 3D Systems to develop these important shipbuilding alloys.
Copper Nickel is truly a wonder material for marine use. The CuNI-dominant alloy resists seawater corrosion and large scale fouling by marine organisms such as barnacles and algae. Due to these properties and the increased ductility of nickel, it is commonly used in transportation, offshore oil production and desalination plants. The most common formulation is a 90-10 copper-nickel alloy, with trace amounts of other elements such as iron and manganese.
The only question?This amazing material is not yet available3D printing, traditional casting techniques can result in lead times longer than 12 months for replacement parts. To solve this problem, 3D Systems worked to develop printable copper-nickel and nickel-copper (same alloys with varying amounts of each element). Together with Newport, they will select the exact alloy composition, design process parameter experiments, and conduct material testing and qualification.
The Newport Shipyard is the only source of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy, as shown by John F. Kennedy in this photo (Photo via U.S. Navy/Matt Hildreth)
This is not the first collaboration between the two companies.Back in 2018, they identified the metal3D printingWhether it can be used to build battleships for cooperation. 3D Systems installed a high-volume industrial ProX DMP 320 printer at its Newport facility.
The implications of the new agreement are also largely military. Newport is currently the Navy’s only source of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of the few sources of nuclear-powered submarines. The development of 3D printable copper-nickel alloys will allow them to replace parts faster, thereby speeding up maintenance and repair of containers.
3D Systems will also add copper-nickel alloys to its materials portfolio, serving customers such as the Department of Defense, which has awarded them a contract to study corrosion issues in 2019, and the U.S. Army’s CCDC laboratory. In addition to military use, 3D Systems believes their alloys will also be useful in industries such as oil and gas refining and energy production.
Chuck Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems, said: “These new materials have the potential to redefine Newport News Shipbuilding’s pipeline of innovation, enabling them to deliver high-quality parts more efficiently. Materials science and application engineering expertise
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