NCAME and 6K Additive Collaborate on Cold Spray Repair Data

The National Center for Advanced Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) has announced a strategic partnership with 6K Additive. This collaboration aims to tackle a critical barrier to the broader implementation of cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) for repair processes: the lack of comprehensive material data.

Cold spray technology, a process that deposits metallic powders onto a substrate at high velocities without melting them, offers significant potential for repairing damaged components and adding features. However, the effectiveness and reliability of CSAM repairs are often limited by insufficient data regarding material behavior, deposition efficiency, and the mechanical properties of the deposited materials. This data gap makes it difficult for engineers and manufacturers to qualify and certify cold spray repairs for critical applications.

By joining forces, NCAME and 6K Additive intend to generate and disseminate the necessary data to overcome these limitations. 6K Additive, known for its expertise in producing high-quality metal powders, will likely play a key role in supplying materials for testing and characterization. NCAME, with its focus on advancing manufacturing technologies, will contribute its research capabilities and infrastructure to conduct the in-depth analysis required.

The partnership is expected to focus on generating reliable data sets that can be used to build robust models and standards for cold spray repair. This will include characterizing the performance of various alloys when applied via cold spray, understanding the impact of process parameters on deposit quality, and validating the structural integrity of repaired parts. Ultimately, the goal is to accelerate the adoption of cold spray for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) in industries where component longevity and performance are paramount.