The research of new high-alloy PM materials especially for innovative powder metallurgical processes, such as hot isostatic pressing with rapid quenching, additive manufacturing by means of laser-based additive manufacturing processes, such as Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), or various other additive manufacturing processes, makes it possible to access unimagined degrees of freedom while meeting the highest material requirements. The LWT can access the process chain from alloy design, powder forming and processing to the characterization of microstructures and properties.
At the LWT, materials are digitally designed using simulative, thermodynamic methods (such as the ThermoCalc, Matcalc and Matlab software) even before they are manufactured. A laboratory facility for the production of spherical metal powders using the VIGA process can be used in the future to produce metal powders on a laboratory scale. These are then characterized and classified using various processes, so that solid test specimens can finally be produced using sintering processes (such as HIP or SLPS) or additive manufacturing. These in turn are analyzed with high-resolution characterization methods from the macroscopic level down to the atomic level. The goal is to build an understanding of the relationship between properties (mechanical, chemical or physical) and microstructure.

Current research projects address:

• Tool steels (cold, hot, and high-speed steels) for additive manufacturing using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF).
• High nitrogen alloyed, high interstitial steels
• Nitrogen alloyed steels for additive manufacturing by LPBF
• Duplex steels for additive manufacturing by LPBF
• New starting materials and powder mixtures for additive manufacturing by LPBF
• Research into post-processing of AM samples using HIP and SLPS
• Integrated heat treatments and in-situ phase transformations in HIP
• Alloy developments of high-alloy PM steels (HSS, KAS)