Low-Cost Feedstock for Large-Scale Metal Additive Manufacturing

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Invention Reference Number

202205260

This technology enables economically viable and sustainable fabrication of near net shape large steel components using additive manufacturing. Currently, additive manufacturing is not economically viable for the production of many infrastructure-scale steel parts, such as hydropower turbines, due to the high cost of the feedstocks. This process uses low-cost, minimally-processed ferrous feedstocks to produce near net shape steel components with reduced embodied carbon and energy.

Description

Large-format metal additive manufacturing (AM) systems currently use expensive and energy-intensive pre-manufactured feedstocks (powder, wire, etc.). A process compatible with low-cost feedstock is needed to increase the economically feasible range of metal AM applications. This technology is such a process and solves the problem of domestic AM production of large (1+ ton) ferrous castings. The technology addresses the acute supply chain shortages of components relevant to renewable wind and water energy applications in the short term and reduces embodied cost, carbon emissions, and trans-ocean shipping pollutants in the long term while maintaining cost parity with the current supply chain. This process can additively manufacture select ferrous alloys (cast irons, mild steels, stainless steels) at scale and at much lower cost, embodied carbon, and embodied energy.

Applications and Industries

Steel foundries
Utilities
Renewable energy companies, hydro and wind
Original equipment manufacturers

Benefits

Enables infrastructure-scale metal additive manufacturing of components
Reduces cost
Reduces carbon emissions/enables cleaner production
Sustainable additive manufacturing, compatible with Circular Economy initiatives
Reshoring production of large castings, eliminates transoceanic shipping