10-15-2017: 3D Lab presented the ATO One
It was the world's first laboratory-size atomizer for metal powders
On October 15, 2017, 3D Lab, a Polish distributor of industrial 3D metal printers, introduced its first proprietary machine – the ATO One. It was an atomizer designed for the production of metal powders used, among other things, in 3D printing, created in a laboratory (or office) standard. The innovation of this solution was based on two factors – traditional atomizers are large industrial installations, impossible to purchase and install by non-specialized companies, and – as a result – the minimum order for non-standard/special metal powders was very high, with a long lead time. The machine was presented on the company's 10th anniversary.
The ATO One was officially presented in November 2017 at the Formnext trade fair in Frankfurt. Interestingly, the machine showcased at the event was actually a mock-up – what I like to call a "machine that lights up red." Although the technology was genuine, the final machine, the ATO Lab, appeared a year later.
What is an atomizer? One of the main reasons for the slow implementation of metal 3D printing in the industry was the limited number of available powders and the long lead time for introducing new alloys to the market. This was due to the technological limitations of the available metal powdering solutions at that time and the high costs of the equipment itself. Traditional atomization systems are expensive, require large-scale infrastructure, and generate very high operating costs. Until then, metal powder production was dominated by international corporations with substantial financial resources.
In other words, producing 10-20 kg of powder for testing was not economically viable.
The ATO One/Lab atomizer solved these problems by offering the ability to operate in any environment (laboratory, office, production plant), to produce any amount of powder (even measured in grams), a low system purchase price, and low operating costs. The machine could handle both non-reactive and reactive metals, such as titanium, aluminum, and magnesium alloys. It enabled the production of powders with particle sizes ranging from 20 to 100 µm, with a narrow particle size distribution.
As much as there were positive aspects, there were also negatives… Shortly after the system's debut, the co-creators of the ATO One/Lab parted ways. One of them founded AMAZEMET, where he developed a similar (though not identical) solution – rePOWDER. This led to a multi-year feud between the companies, involving brutal and uncompromising legal battles that often extended beyond the courtroom (including the infamous flyer incident at Formnext).
Regardless, setting aside the mutual (and unnecessary) animosity, both companies are doing well in the market, producing and implementing high-quality equipment that has genuinely revolutionized the process of introducing new metal alloys to the AM market.
Source: www.centrumdruku3d.pl