Fortius Metals awarded $1.25M AFWERX contract

Fortius Metals, a company specializing in metals for robotic 3D printing/WAAM technology, has been awarded a $1.25M AFWERX Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract focused on qualifying IN625-RAM2 wire alloy for the large-scale AM of components for hypersonic applications.

Nickel superalloys are important for high-performance defense applications. Fortius Metals’ Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technology improves alloy grain structure to double IN625 yield strength at room temperature, and increase yield strength up to 50% at 800°C, without sacrificing ductility or toughness. Hypersonic applications are extremely demanding on materials, and next-generation alloys are needed to solve tomorrow’s engineering design challenges. Fortius will print large-format hypersonic prototypes using its advanced IN625-RAM2 and wire Directed Energy Deposition (wire DED) robotic welding cells.

IN625-RAM2 has already been commercialized in metal powder by Fortius Metals’ sister company, Elementum 3D, using L-PBF. Material properties have been established for L-PBF and similar results are expected with wire DED. Fortius is developing wire alloy manufacturing at scale and has active commercial contracts to advance its capabilities.

“AFWERX’s push to advance AM materials is critical to meet the rapid and evolving defense environment. It stimulates confidence in high-strength nickel superalloys and helps prove out challenging hypersonic applications. The foundational effort to qualify IN625-RAM2 for production will also benefit dual-use capabilities for industrial tooling and space propulsion,” said Jeff Lints, Founder and CEO of Fortius.

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines – changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. Fortius Metals technology is expected to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the USA.