PITTSBURGH, PA, USA, Apr 2, 2024 – 6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc. and leader in the sustainable production of materials for additive manufacturing and metal alloys, announced that Seurat Technologies has qualified 6K Additive’s 316L stainless steel powder for the company’s Area Printing platform. Both organizations are keenly focused on sustainable additive manufacturing. Seurat’s pilot factory in the Greater Boston area will have the capacity to produce more than 25 tons of metal parts annually and be 100% powered by clean energy. 6K Additive consumes far less energy and significantly lowers carbon emissions in its manufacturing process when compared to conventional atomization by leveraging sustainable feedstock sources, utilizing a highly efficient microwave plasma process, and delivering 90%+ yields.
“Our partnership with 6K Additive is beneficial for Seurat on several fronts,” said Ben Fotovvati, Additive Manufacturing Process Engineer at Seurat Technologies. “Not only are we partnering with a supplier that can meet our powder quality requirements, but we are also teaming with a leader in sustainably sourced materials, which aligns perfectly with our decarbonization mission.”
6K Additive is the world’s first producer of AM powder made from sustainable sources and offers a full suite of premium powder, including nickel, titanium, copper, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium, and rhenium. Their proprietary UniMelt® system is the world’s only microwave production-scale plasma system, with a highly uniform and precise plasma zone, zero contamination, superior performance compared to atomization technologies, and high throughput production capabilities.
Powered by 100% green energy, Seurat is reinventing and reshoring manufacturing with their Area Printing technology developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This 3D metal printing technology delivers high-precision, high-volume, decarbonized manufacturing, which Seurat anticipates can directly mitigate as much as 100 million tons of CO2 by 2030.
“Our ability to leverage machining scrap, used powders, and other revert feedstock for a wide variety of metal powders sets us apart from any other powder supplier in the industry with regard to sustainability. Backed by the efficiency of our UniMelt process, it’s clear why 6K Additive is considered a leader in sustainable powder production for AM,” commented Nick Pflugh, Chief Commercial Officer for 6K Additive. “Customers now have a very compelling reason to work with Seurat for part production, powered by the world’s most sustainably sourced powder from 6K Additive.”
6K’s UniMelt platform offers multifaceted sustainability benefits like no other material production platform in the world. 6K Additive previously released two life cycle assessment projects for both titanium and nickel powders. Foresight Management, an independent company, conducted this study that quantified the environmental impacts associated with producing printable metal powders and specifically compared atomization technology methods to 6K Additive’s. The LCA found that for Ni718 powder, 6K’s UniMelt process delivered a 91% energy reduction and 92% carbon emission reduction from traditional processes. The independent study can be downloaded here.
Companies interested in working with 6K Additive regarding their specific powder requirements are urged to visit 6K Additive’s website 6KAdditive.com.
About 6K
6K Inc. produces and innovates UniMelt® microwave plasma technology for the localized production of critical materials. 6K’s UniMelt® technology is applied across a vast range of markets, from additive manufacturing (6K Additive) and essential battery materials (6K Energy) to future growth sectors (6K Next). UniMelt® plasma creates a path for true sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy use, and utilizing recycled content to create a circular economy—all while reducing conversion costs and providing a secure, domestic supply chain. UniMelt is industrially operational, at scale, today, with our Headquarters and Battery Center of Excellence (Andover, MA), 6K Additive production facility in (Burgettstown, PA), and full-scale PlusCAM battery material manufacturing plant (Jackson, Tennessee). For more information, visit www.6Kinc.com.
About Seurat Technologies
Seurat Technologies is transforming manufacturing for people and our planet. Area Printing by Seurat is the next generation of 3D metal printing designed for high-volume, decarbonized industrial production. By decoupling resolution and speed, Seurat is creating a scalable process that can compete with traditional manufacturing in every way. Seurat’s pioneering approach was originally developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and has nearly 250 patents granted and pending. Learn more at www.seurat.com.
