The unique copper alloy, known as ‘RocketPowder,’ is currently in demand by advanced manufacturers for space and hypersonic applications.
FAIRFIELD, Ohio— As a distributor of metal powders for the 3D printing and advanced manufacturing industry, KBM Advanced Materials sources specialty powders for customers from multiple suppliers. But the difficult challenges of sourcing a unique alloy needed by additive manufacturers and metal injection molders have motivated the company to develop its own reliable supply.
The specialty alloy, NASA standard GRCop-42 copper-alloy, is made from copper, niobium, and chromium. It is said to be perfectly suited for space and hypersonic applications due to its high heat transfer and increased strength versus pure copper. Dubbed “RocketPowder,” GRCop-42 is now available from KBM, the company said in a press release.
According to KBM, the company formed a unique technical and production partnership through which a new, stable, and repeatable process was developed for GRCop-42. The process and production relationship took more than nine months to perfect. Today, they ensure that customers will have reliable access to GRCop-42 for their own production needs.
Kevin Kember, CEO of KBM Advanced Materials, is confident that “RocketPowder” will fill a need in the marketplace.
“Our customers were continually asking for GRCop-42, to the point that we said if we can’t source it, we’ll find a partner and invest in developing a production process ourselves,” Kember said in the release. “This wasn’t an easy task, as meeting specifications was a challenge. But we are confident we have a repeatable and reliable process, and the right production partner, to provide quality powder for the highly critical needs of our space and hypersonic customers.”
The company said it expects to deliver multiple tons of RocketPowder per month. The alloy powder will be processed, tested and packaged in Ohio, providing easy distribution for customers across the United States. By taking final processing in-house, KBM is creating a traceable, domestic supply chain of GRCop-42. This alloy has already been shipped to a major advanced manufacturing OEM that is currently qualifying the powder, KBM said.
KBM Advanced Materials leverages an e-commerce marketplace that is said to bridge the inventory gap between a dispersed customer base and larger metal powder producers. According to the company, its business model “offers a simpler and more efficient solution to the metal powder supply chain.”