GE Additive today announced that industrial technology leader Kennametal Inc. is the latest member of its Beta Partner Program. As part of the GE Additive Program, Kennametal will further advance its Binder Jet printing capabilities in cemented tungsten carbide as it continues to scale its end-to-end metal additive manufacturing solutions, from metal powders through to the production of 3D-printed parts and tooling.
Kennametal’s metal 3D-printed parts have already gained wide customer adoption across a variety of industries, such as oil & gas, energy, industrial processing and transportation. Kennametal will work with GE Additive to identify, design and scale specific applications for serial production on GE’s Binder Jet system, leveraging Kennametal’s proprietary cemented tungsten carbide additive materials.
Kennametal is a global leader in tungsten carbide and Stellite™ (cobalt chrome alloy) alloys recognized for their superior wear, heat and corrosion performance. Kennametal is focused on optimizing these high-performance, wear- and corrosion-resistant material families to additive platforms to produce fully finished components with complex designs, shorter lead times and improved performance not possible through traditional manufacturing. When combined with additive manufacturing, these proprietary material systems can offer a step change in wear and corrosion solutions for some of the most challenging applications.
“Customers are increasingly seeking our 3D-printed tungsten carbide and Stellite solutions to help them maximize their productivity in challenging applications when wear and corrosion resistance are critical,” said Jay Verellen, general manager, Kennametal Additive Manufacturing. “Our work with GE Additive on Binder Jet solutions will enable further scaling of our operations to meet strong customer demand—and extend our leadership in proprietary material solutions for additive.”
Customer-Centric Innovation
GE Additive continues to develop its Binder Jet solution to make additive manufacturing a reality for serial production, targeting millions of parts per year and beyond. Key to that development is ongoing, hands-on input from members of GE Additive’s Binder Jet Beta Partner Program.
“By hands-on, we don’t mean tinkering or experimenting. We work closely with our beta customers as they develop their own, real-world business cases, applications and parts. To them, it is important that our solution is not only mature and scalable but is capable, complete and aligns to their product innovation strategies and meets production volume needs,” said Brian Birkmeyer, product line leader for Binder Jet at GE Additive.
“We are honored that Kennametal, an industry leader in 3D-printed tungsten carbide, is working closely with us on the development of our Binder Jet platform. Ensuring we align with Kennametal’s production expectations and requirements is a top priority. Their longstanding expertise in materials science mirrors our own, and our team is excited to work together to deliver new and innovative solutions,” added Birkmeyer.
