Sandvik Introduces 3D Printed Components in Cemented Carbide

Cemented carbides have a unique character as a result of their composite structure – a wear-resistant phase bonded together by a ductile binder metal – and are widely used across multiple industries such as metal cutting, agriculture, food, and oil and gas. Due to its inherent hardness, cemented carbides can be challenging to machine, not least in complex geometries. Leveraging its century-long materials expertise, Sandvik can now offer 3D printed cemented carbide on a commercial scale – based on a tailor-made powder attained through a proprietary process – with the design freedom, decreased material waste, and fewer replacements that comes with additive manufacturing technology.

In its "Plan it, Print it, Perfect it" approach to additive manufacturing, Sandvik states printing is just one of the seven steps you have to master in order to succeed with the industrialization of AM – and that obtaining the most optimal material, tailor-made for your AM process and end component, is the first and perhaps most important step. A key differentiator compared to other hard materials is the fact that these alloys are often brittle, to some extent – while cemented carbide, with its’ matrix structure consisting mainly of cobalt and tungsten carbide, is uniquely tough. Thanks to the extreme durability of the material, the printed components are well suited for most industries looking to optimize production efficiency – including those operating in challenging environments, according to the company.

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