Bridging the gap between strength and weldability with Osprey® MAR 55
With Osprey® MAR 55, manufacturers no longer have to choose between good weldability of carbon-free maraging steels and the performance of carbon-bearing steels. This new highly versatile tool steel powder gives you both. Also, it provides good mechanical properties and wear resistance already in the as-built condition.
As many manufacturers report, conventional carbon steels have been difficult to use with fusion technologies within additive manufacturing. Due to the high carbon content, the risk of cracking has been imminent, forcing customers to choose between weldability and strength.
At Sandvik we wanted to solve this problem, bridging the gap between conventional maraging steels, used in additive manufacturing, and carbon tool steels. We wanted to combine good weldability from maraging steels with high strength and high wear resistance from carbon-bearing steels.
By a smarter design, our new tool steel Osprey® MAR 55 does exactly this. We can now offer a hard, well-performing material that is also weldable.
Also, for some customers it is a key benefit that MAR 55 gives them good fatigue strength and wear resistance already in the as-printed condition.
This new alloy is perfect for tooling applications that require hardness levels above 50 HRC and wear resistance exceeding that of the 18-Ni class of maraging steels. The defense and aerospace industries will find its exceptional fracture toughness at ultrahigh strength levels very useful.
MAR 55 was primarily designed for excellent PBF-LB processability without the need for plate preheating. It is also very usable for Cold spray, Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), Metal Injection Moulding (MIM), Micro-MIM, and sintered metal filters and foams.
Customers respond very positively when we present our new tool steel powder. They simply don’t need to choose between performance and weldability anymore. MAR 55 gives them both.
Main characteristics of Osprey® MAR 55
- Processability: Excellent processability by laser powder bed fusion and laser directed energy deposition without the need for plate or platform preheating
- Chemical composition: Optimized for excellent weldability similar to maraging steels while showing improved wear and fatigue resistance similar to carbon bearing tool steels
- Thermal conductivity: Higher thermal conductivity compared to maraging steels and martensitic stainless steels
- Hardness and toughness: Exceptional hardness/toughness combination in as built and heat-treated condition, exceptional toughness at cryogenic temperatures