Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing teams up with Elementum 3D
The companies will jointly create new opportunities in AM with new materials
Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM), the hybrid manufacturing company founded by NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski, has announced a partnership with Elementum 3D, a developer of additive manufacturing materials. Together, the companies will seek to create new opportunities in the AM industry using Elementum 3D’s innovative AM materials and KAM’s production capabilities.
As part of the collaboration, Elementum 3D will supply KAM with advanced AM materials, including its A6061-RAM2 powder, which is reportedly the only aluminum AM powder that is comparable to wrought 6061-T6, a common material in the aerospace and automotive industries.
The collaboration will see KAM become the first and only supplier in North America to use 6061 powder with an SLM 280 3D printer. Using the combination of SLM Solutions’ dual-laser system and Elementum 3D’s powder, KAM expects to break new boundaries in terms of print speeds for aluminum 6061. For instance, the company expects the 6061 powder to print an average of 65% faster using the SLM 280, offering significant time and cost benefits to end users.
“Elementum 3D’s commitment to the development of advanced materials aligns well with KAM’s innovative growth plan based around hybrid manufacturing,” commented Jacob Nuechterlein, Elementum 3D President and Founder. “We are proud to partner with their team and evolve our technologies together. There’s increasing demand within our customer base for aluminums like the 6061. It’s taking off and this material is at the forefront of the trend.”
Working with Elementum 3D’s 6061 powder, KAM plans to target markets that rely on AlSi10Mg, such as the aerospace and automotive industries. As Kevin Cwiok, lead AM engineer at KAM, said: “This opens up a lot of doors for us and widens our overall capabilities offerings. To offer a replacement for traditional aluminum alloys that are not only faster, but are also more durable with better surface finish, I think we’ll have a lot of customers who will be really excited about that.”
The partners will also jointly develop various AM projects, many focused on testing Elementum 3D’s new materials. Colorado-based Elementum 3D is a pioneering force in the AM materials world. The company continually strives to develop new materials for industrial AM applications that deliver on all fronts. The company’s proprietary reactive additive manufacturing (RAM) technology enables it to produce materials that reduce the risk of cracking during solidification, paving the way for AM metals that are comparable to traditional alloys
“I love what they’re doing at Elementum 3D,” said Brad Keselowski, Founder and CEO of KAM. “Their materials enable KAM to engineer and manufacture metal 3D printed parts that are faster and higher in quality than anything that is currently out in the marketplace. I think we’re going to continue to do a lot of innovative work together that’ll lead to positive developments within the additive community. It’s a really exciting time for both companies.”
