Swedish metal materials specialist Sandvik has launched a new material, Osprey MAR 55, a tool steel powder developed for additive manufacturing, cold spray, metal injection molding (MIM) and micro-MIM. The powder expands Sandvik’s Osprey portfolio, which also includes gas atomized stainless steels, copper alloys, titanium alloys, superalloys and more.
Osprey MAR 55 itself is a tool steel powder that, in Sandvik’s words, “bridges the gap between maraging steels and tool steels,” offering good weldability without compromising on performance and wear resistance. “Before MAR 55, customers had to choose between good weldability and performance,” explained Faraz Deirmina, Principal Metallurgist at Powder Solutions at Sandvik.
“This new alloy bridges the gap between maraging steels and carbon bearing tool steels. It means that the alloy is easily weldable, with exceptional toughness. Also, it can be heat-treated without the need for prior costly solution annealing (austenitization) or cryogenic treatments. At the same time its wear and fatigue resistance are similar to the carbide strengthened tempered martensitic microstructures of medium carbon tool steels.”
The patent-pending metal powder is made in a VIGA atomizer, which ensures low oxygen and minimizes contamination risks. It has also been optimized for processing using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and laser directed energy deposition (DED), eliminating the need for plate or platform preheating (as mentioned it is also compatible with a range of other metal manufacturing processes).
In terms of applications, Osprey MAR 55 is suitable for a range of tooling applications, particularly when a hardness of 50 HRC or higher is required as is a superior wear resistance to 18-Ni maraging steels. Osprey MAR 55 also has superior nitriding properties and hot hardness (up to 600°C) compared to 18Ni300 maraging steel. These properties, in combination with excellent fracture toughness, make Sandvik’s new powder suitable for tooling applications in demanding industries like aerospace and defense.
Sandvik not only emphasizes the material’s properties, it also highlights the fact that the raw material is also more sustainable than 18-Ni maraging steels. In short, by reducing the nickel and molybdenum content in the tool steel powder by 50%, Sandvik has created a leaner material than minimizes embedded CO2 by 21% and embedded energy (KWh/kg) by 26% compared to 18Ni300 (for virgin materials).
Known primarily for its metal powders, Sandvik decided in 2022 to increase its investment in the AM industry, notably through the acquisition of a minority stake in Italian additive manufacturing service provider BEAMIT. Last year, however, the Swedish company sold this stake and refocused its AM efforts exclusively on metal powders. Most recently, the company entered into a new partnership with Additive Industries to facilitate direct filling of the latter’s MetalFab Powder Load Tool powder hopper through Sandvik powder supply.
