Additive Manufacturing Powder Characterized by High Resistance, Toughness

With a limited number of commercial alloys available for additive manufacturing (AM) Edro Engineering and Specialty Steels, an exclusive U.S. distributor for Böhler, highlights the patented Böhler W360 Ampo powder, developed from W360 Isobloc tool steel. W360 Ampo is said to combine high hardness, optimized toughness and the highest wear resistance.

Böhler W360 Ampo is the powder equivalent of the W360 Isobloc. Due to its chemical composition, the material belongs to the product group of hot-work tool steels. After hardening and tempering, it can achieve a hardness of up to 57 HRC with very good toughness properties. Its high temperature wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness characterizes the material.

According to the company, achievable mechanical properties of the printed part after heat treatment include a tensile strength between 1,970-2,010 MPa, 6.6-8.1% elongation and yield strength between 1,500-1,670 MPa.

Some applications tailored to mold builders include printed components with conformal cooling for die casting applications, as well as wear protection layers and repair work in moldmaking using laser cladding. Additional applications range from injection molding, forging and extrusion to direct metal deposition, selective laser melting and more.