Renishaw enables Cookson Industrial to 3D print platinum-rhodium
The collaboaration has resulted in powder waste levels being reduced to less than 0.5%
Renishaw, a UK-based industrial AM company, has enabled Cookson Industrial, a UK-based leader in precious metal AM, to significantly reduce the cost of 3D printing platinum-rhodium, one of the world’s most expensive metals. Cookson Industrial can now produce platinum rhodium components on Renishaw’s RenAM 500S Flex AM system with exceptional material efficiency. High-temperature corrosion-resistant parts, for industries like glass fiber manufacturing, can now be viably manufactured with AM.
Cookson Industrial, a division of Cooksongold and a subsidiary of HM Precious Metals, brings over 30 years of expertise in the design and production of precious metal alloys. The company set out to redefine platinum rhodium’s use in AM, however, with platinum rhodium prices averaging £80,000 per kilo, minimizing material waste was crucial to making production commercially viable.
To meet this challenge, Cookson Industrial selected Renishaw’s RenAM 500S Flex, a laser powder bed fusion system designed for research and development applications. Renishaw’s AM engineering team worked closely with Cookson Industrial to adapt the system to the specific demands of platinum-rhodium production. As standard, the RenAM 500S Flex is capable of achieving powder waste levels as low as 1.5%. However, to align with Cookson Industrial’s requirements, customizations were needed to reduce it to less than 0.5%.
“Achieving near-zero wastage of platinum-rhodium powder was a top priority,” said Jason Morgan, Senior Applications Engineer at Renishaw. “We collaborated with Cookson’s engineers to identify and eliminate potential ‘powder traps’ within the system, followed by rapid testing and redesigns to minimize waste while maintaining performance.”
Renishaw’s customizations included modifying internal system components to prevent powder accumulation, such as removing overflow bellows and optimizing the rear overflow vent. Additional measures included chamber redesigns and the creation of specialized casings and covers, resulting in a 95% reduction in powder waste. Now, the RenAM 500S Flex allows Cookson Industrial to retrieve nearly all platinum rhodium powder – amounting to significant cost savings.
“Renishaw’s technology and expertise were crucial to this R&D success, enabling us to make platinum rhodium parts on a commercial scale,” said Nikesh Patel, Head of Cookson Industrial. “The ability to minimize powder loss not only brings down our production costs but also makes large-scale production feasible, saving millions over the machine’s lifetime.”
“This success paves the way for Cookson Industrial to explore new applications for platinum rhodium AM, including catalysts and aerospace engine nozzles,” said Jason Morgan. “Our collaboration with Cookson Industrial highlights Renishaw’s commitment to supporting customers in every step of their AM journey, especially when working with novel materials.”
