Metal powder for 3D printing will help the industry recycle metal parts

Danish companies are at the forefront of a new technology, that consists of high-quality metal powder, that can be part of companies’ circular economy. In industries where metal tools are used and manufactured, the challenge is among other things to recycle worn metal parts. By transforming them into metal powder via Nordisk Staal A / S ‘unique’ production method, they can be recycled as material for 3D printing.

With the Innovation Fund’s program Grand Solution behind it, Nordisk Staal A / S is now starting producing metal powder in the DECOR project. This is done in collaboration between DTU, LEGO SYSTEM A / S and with a large international industrial giant as an associated partner. The goal is to develop metal powder for Additive Manufacturing – a series of manufacturing technologies where you build items up layer upon layer, such as 3D printing.

The Nordisk Staal Group in Frederiksværk has previously manufactured so-called steel sticks via a spray-forming technique. The excess metal powder formed during this production has been of very high quality, particularly suitable for 3D printing of, for example, tools and machine parts.

The DECOR project will ensure future production and further develop unique powder types for large production companies such as LEGO SYSTEM A / S.

Together with the production of steel sticks, the metal powder production will constitute an essential circular economic model e.g. Danish and European companies. They will be able to hand over their used machine parts to Nordisk Staal A / S, and have the many kilos of steel returned for recycling in the company’s production in the form of new steel and metal powder.

“Nordisk Staal metal powder has proven to be of unprecedented quality, and with it, a Danish company can enter the super league of metal powder manufacturers all over the world. We have high expectations that we will together succeed in developing the metal powder of the future for 3D print in the project.“, says Senior Researcher David Bue Pedersen, DTU.

“It will be an incredibly exciting collaboration with the leading specialists and consumers in the 3D printing market. There are great opportunities – together with a reliable partner, to establish a production in Frederiksværk that can be used in many places within Additive Manufacturing, and which will be able to be exported to the whole world for the benefit of Denmark, both in terms of new jobs and export earnings”, says Jan Sørensen, CEO of Nordisk Staal A / S.

For further information, please contact:

Innovation Fund Denmark, Jakob Dahl Wedel, tel. 6190 5031

DTU, David Bue Pedersen, tel. 3023 8484

Nordisk Staal A / S, Jan Sørensen, tel. 2486 8190