The company ECKART TLS, based in Bitterfeld, Germany, is a key producer of metal powders for additive manufacturing (AM). The company specializes in Electrode Induction Melting Inert Gas Atomization (EIGA) and crucible-based gas atomization techniques to produce high-quality metal powders.
Originally founded in 1994 as TLS-Technik, the company specialized in Titanium and Zirconium alloy production using the EIGA technique. Over the years, TLS optimized its atomization processes, establishing itself as a leader in high-performance alloy powders. In 2021, ECKART, a firm with over a century of experience in metal powder production, acquired TLS-Technik, resulting in the formation of ECKART TLS. ECKART itself is a world-leading producer of metallic pigments with over 100 years of experience in producing metal powders and an atomization capacity of over 20,000 kg of aluminum per year.
Current Portfolio
ECKART TLS can produce several hundred tons of AM powders per year, specializing mainly in Titanium alloys such as Ti6Al4V and CP-Ti, Copper alloys such as pure Copper or CuCrZr, and Aluminum alloys such as AlSi10Mg or the patented high-strength A20X alloy.
Innovation & Product Development
ECKART TLS is focused on advancing its product portfolio to meet the evolving needs of the AM industry, as well as other specialized industries. In 2023, the company introduced new high-strength Titanium alloys into its standard portfolio, namely: Ti6242, Ti6246, and Ti5553. These alloys offer enhanced mechanical properties under certain conditions and have the potential to partially replace Ti6Al4V in specific AM applications. Additional examples include materials like Zirconium alloy Zr705 and the high-strength bronze alloy CuAl10Fe5Ni5, with the latter being particularly suited for Directed Energy Deposition (DED) applications.
The flexibility of the EIGA process, which allows for the atomization of round bars of any alloy composition with melting points up to 2500 °C, enables ECKART TLS to produce spherical powders from a wide range of materials. This versatility makes it possible to rapidly adapt to new material requirements as industry needs develop.
In addition to bringing new materials into the market, a recent advancement by ECKART TLS is the development of coarser Ti6Al4V powders for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). All gas and plasma atomization techniques produce a broad particle size distribution, typically ranging from a few microns to several hundred microns. Given that LPBF is the largest market for high-quality spherical Titanium powders, and that 15-53 µm or 20-63 µm are the commonly used particle size fractions, a significant fraction of the as-atomized powder is not currently used for LPBF.
“Like all established titanium powder producers, we face the challenge of unavoidably producing high-quality by-products, especially coarser Ti6Al4V powders with particles larger than 50 µm, for which there is limited global demand. By utilizing coarser fractions, such as 50-80 µm, for certain LPBF applications, not only can excellent part properties be achieved, but we can also improve the sustainability of metal additive manufacturing. Equally important, using these powders allows us to develop entirely new applications for the AM of Ti6Al4V, as these coarse powders are available at significantly lower costs”, says Dr. Moritz Roscher, Global Head of Additive Manufacturing & Metal Powders at ECKART.
Future outlooks
As demand for AM powders continues to grow, ECKART TLS is planning an expansion of production capacity for its materials. With the projected increase in demand from key customers in the aerospace and medical sectors, ECKART TLS is preparing to scale its output with additional EIGA machines, thereby positioning itself as a key player in the global AM market for the long term.
ECKART TLS will showcase its portfolio of products at Formnext 2024, in Hall 12.0, B78.
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