On May 10th, a new vacuum induction melting inert gas atomisation (VIGA) system was put into operation at the Chair of Materials Technology, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project-No. 470572383 and the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia.

Up to 30 kg of liquid metal melt can be atomised into fine powder under high inert gas pressure. Due to the wide range of materials that can be processed, there are virtually no limits to the creativity of the researchers. The powder is then used for both metal 3D printing and compaction under high pressures and temperatures. By examining the powders and components, exciting new insights into the microstructural properties can be gained.