Freemelt receives order to produce 3D-printed tungsten parts for fusion energy

Freemelt has been awarded a major contract by the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) at the University of Sheffield. The aim of the project is to further develop sophisticated tungsten components for use in fusion energy. The Nuclear AMRC is part of the UK High-value Manufacturing Catapult, which is funding this research. The center supports UK companies in winning contracts for large-scale, high-precision manufacturing in the nuclear industry.

Governments around the world are becoming increasingly interested in fusion energy. Countries such as the USA, Japan, Germany and the UK have announced programmes to support the commercialization of fusion energy. It is predicted that the first fusion power plant will be feeding electricity into the grid before 2035.

Tungsten is a critical material for the fusion energy industry due to its unique properties. It is characterized by high density, strength and resistance to extreme temperatures and wear. However, traditional manufacturing of tungsten components is challenging and costly, especially when the highest material properties are required. This is where additive manufacturing (AM) offers a promising solution. AM can be used to produce tungsten components with complex geometries that are difficult or impossible to achieve using conventional methods. AM can also reduce material waste, shorten production times and enable more flexible manufacturing processes.

Freemelt’s E-PBF (Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion) technology is particularly attractive as it enables efficient production of tungsten parts with fewer design constraints while achieving the highest material properties. This makes it the ideal choice for the production of critical components in the fusion energy industry.

Freemelt CEO Daniel Gidlund comments: “This order from Nuclear AMRC re-emphasizes our unique position and capabilities in printing Tungsten, as Nuclear AMRC is one of the world’s leading research institutes in tungsten and Nuclear Energy development. It also strengthens our position and presence within the tungsten and Fusion Energy community in the UK and underscores the critical role that Freemelt’s E-PBF technology plays in processing challenging materials like tungsten for Fusion Energy power plants.”

Overall, this order demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing to efficiently produce complex and high-quality tungsten components and represents an important step in the advancement of fusion energy.