NOVEMBER 20238MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTS8Shifting towards carbon-neutral operations is a priority for all industries, and as additive manufacturing (AM) is approaching industrialization, it is helping businesses find new ways to reduce their environmental impact. There are several areas where AM could have a huge, positive influence once the right solutions are widely adopted. The use of construction steels in AM is one of these areas.Investing in additive manufacturing can help improve sustainability in multiple ways while also being a way for many businesses to become more profitable and efficient. It can help reduce the number of steps in manufacturing, for example, as shapes that were impossible to make in a single process with traditional methods are now viable through 3D printing. It can also dramatically reduce lead time and help to reduce inventories of spare parts. And there is less wastage due to AM processes as it is possible to use more precise amounts of raw material compared to alternative options. Steels are the most widely used metal alloys in the industry. However, the adoption of construction steels has been slow as the AM industry has focused on higher-value applications in industries such as aerospace and medical. Expanding the AM market and promoting wider adoption of using construction steels in AM processes will help businesses become more efficient while reducing their carbon footprint. MEETING INDUSTRY DEMANDSIn the past, additive manufacturing was considered too expensive to be able to produce components from traditional construction steel. Construction steel powder offerings practically did not exist in the market and knowledge regarding manufacturing parameters has been missing. These issues have prevented the wider acceptance of AM construction steels. However, Höganäs knows the positive impact that a broader range of viable materials could have on the industry and has designed a portfolio of construction steels specifically engineered to meet industry demands."At Höganäs, we believe additive manufacturing is coming into its industrialization phase," says Jerome Stanley, Director of Global Sales for Customization Technologies at Höganäs. "As we want the benefits of AM to be available to all industries, we have developed a wide-ranging portfolio of products, and within that, we can provide BUILDING EXCELLENCE WITH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURINGBy Jerome Stanley, Director of Global Sales, Höganäs ABIN MY OPINIONJerome Stanley
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