“The new plant is an important building block in the forward-looking positioning of this location and the first step toward our long-term goal: to support our customers by providing expertise, developing new sustainable materials, and by demonstrating our flexibility and adaptability for different powder metallurgy technologies,” says Thomas Anstots, President of the Advanced Materials business line at Outokumpu.
For SMS, the commissioning is a milestone since the company first started developing its additive manufacturing business in 2017. It was within this framework that, among other things, the pilot plant was built in Mönchengladbach for developing and expanding know-how in the field of powder production.
The facility in Krefeld is not only the first powder atomization plant delivered to a customer, but also the first one that we operate as Equipment-as-a-Service. According to this business model, SMS group remains the owner of the powder atomization plant, and Outokumpu, as the plant operator, remunerates us pro rata based on the quantity of stainless steel powder produced. This performance-based form of contract clearly illustrates the new horizons that we are exploring with our customers.
The powder atomization plant, featuring an induction melting unit, atomizer, two cyclones and filters, is designed such that the whole process takes place in an inert atmosphere. Steel scrap from Outokumpu’s production process is used as feedstock.
“This pioneering plant represents a significant step forward in the development and processing of metals, particularly for 3D printing, and is setting new standards in the industry," explains Thomas Hansmann, CTO of SMS group. “The close collaboration between two visionary companies, which combined their extensive know-how and technological expertise, has resulted in this unique solution for producing high-quality metal powder here at Outokumpu.”
