Release Date: Tuesday, 2nd May 2023 Queensland, Australia
PWR Advanced Cooling Technology and, Constellium Enter into Partnership to Produce Next Generation Additively Manufactured Components.
PWR Advanced Cooling Technology (PWR Performance Products Pty Ltd), a world leading manufacturer and supplier of cooling products based in Gold Coast, Australia, has partnered with Constellium, a leader in high value-added aluminium products, to develop next-generation 3D printed heat exchangers and aluminium components. PWR provides world-class cooling solutions through design, simulation, manufacture, and test validation for the motor sport, automotive, aerospace, and defence industries. Meanwhile, Constellium has decades of knowledge in rapid solidification metallurgy and is a privileged metal supplier in aerospace. The company has also developed Aheadd®, a revolutionary portfolio of aluminium additive manufacturing alloys.
Through the partnership, Constellium’s metallurgical expertise will be integrated with PWR’s design and manufacturing capabilities to deliver cost-competitive solutions with improved thermal performance. According to Mr. Mark Booker, Technical Projects Manager of PWR Cooling Technology, “The Aheadd® material allows PWR to explore new possibilities with 3D printing combining complex shapes, faster print times and improved thermal performance. The ability to anodise, weld and braze, all in-house with this alloy opens applications not previously suited to 3D printing”.
“Constellium’s objective for additive manufacturing (AM) is to enable customers to explore the full potential of aluminium alloys and reduce the high-cost barrier of AM components. Rather than adopting the existing aluminium alloy systems, Constellium designed Aheadd® CP1 alloy (Al-Fe-Zr) specifically for L-PBF process. The special characteristics of the CP1 alloy such as absence of silicon and ability to anodise and braze enable new aluminium L-PBF applications. Moreover, the absence of volatile elements in the composition enables fast but high-quality material deposition during printing, supporting the significant cost reduction for large, printed components”. Mr. Syam UNNIKRISHNAN, Business Development Manager of Constellium, stated that the company’s alloy design team is highly successful in integrating customer needs and solving challenges associated with printing aluminium alloys.
Both companies foresee the partnership enabling a step change in price and performance competitiveness across a wide range of industries and applications. Constellium’s metallurgical knowledge and world-class R&D facilities permit investigation and deep understanding of material behaviour. With the significant interest in 3D printed components due to supply chain challenges, PWR will address industry needs in the motor sports, aerospace, defence, and semiconductor sectors. PWR’s presence in North America and Europe will play a key role in addressing customer needs efficiently.
Technical Relations: Mark Booker markb@pwr.com.au
Media Contact: Kelcey McNee kelcey@pwr.com.au
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