FOMAS Group extends nuclear-grade certification to its MIMETE metal powders
Italian manufacturer applies its nuclear quality management system to gas-atomized powders for power-generation components
Italian metal manufacturer FOMAS Group has extended its ISO 19443 certification to cover its gas-atomized metal powders, applying the quality management framework it has used for nuclear-sector forgings to its powder portfolio – known under the brand name MIMETE.
ISO 19443 is the international quality management standard for organizations supplying products or services important to nuclear safety. It builds on ISO 9001 and adds nuclear-specific requirements, including nuclear safety culture, prevention of counterfeit, fraudulent or suspect items, and stricter traceability and document control.
FOMAS has supplied forged components to the nuclear industry for decades and has held continuous American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) accreditation since the late 1970s. The company also holds ASME NCA-3300, NNSA HAF 604, ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certifications.
Produced through a vacuum induction melting inert gas atomization (VIGA) plant, the MIMETE portfolio includes M 316L, an iron-based alloy; V X, V 625 and V 718, nickel-based alloys; and N 75, a cobalt-based alloy. The process supports powder purity, sphericity and flowability, while high-vacuum systems minimize oxygen and residual content.
Turbine and thermal-spray applications
The powders are sorted into four particle-size distribution categories. A small range of 0 to 20 microns is aimed at powder bed fusion 3D printing; a medium range of 15 to 45 or 20 to 60 microns targets directed energy deposition and thermal spray; a large range of 50 to 100 or 50 to 150 microns is intended for thermal spray and welding; and a one-size range of 0 to 150 or 0 to 300 microns is used for cladding and hot isostatic pressing.
The gas-atomized powders are targeted at power-generation components such as turbine blades, heat exchangers and parts with internal cooling channels, with the nickel and cobalt-based grades also used in thermal spray coatings intended to protect against wear, oxidation and high-temperature corrosion.
Biassono facility testing
FOMAS’s metal-powder plant is located in Biassono, in Italy’s Monza-Brianza province, and includes a testing laboratory accredited by ACCREDIA, operating under ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.
There, every melt undergoes more than 20 tests, covering chemical, morphological, physical, metallographic and mechanical characteristics, including particle-size distribution, flowability and apparent density.
