Swedish steelmaker SSAB has awarded SMS group a contract to supply a new gas atomization plant at its Oxelosund site, supporting the company’s plans to expand production of advanced high-strength steel powders for additive manufacturing applications.
The new facility will enable SSAB to increase output of metal powders used in 3D printing, including products developed by SSAB AM Engineering, as demand for high-performance materials continues to grow.
According to SMS group, the plant will utilize advanced induction furnace and inert gas atomization technologies to produce high-purity steel powders with consistent particle characteristics and precise chemical compositions. The design is intended to improve powder quality by reducing particle collisions during the atomization process.
The project marks a further expansion of the long-standing partnership between SSAB and SMS group, following recent agreements covering cold rolling and electric arc furnace technologies.
SSAB said the investment will strengthen its ability to supply advanced steel powders to demanding sectors such as defense, industrial and mobility applications, while supporting the industrial-scale production of materials for additive manufacturing.
SSAB is a producer of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) and quenched and tempered (Q&T) steel products, with an annual crude steel production capacity of approximately 8.8 mln tons across operations in Sweden, Finland, and the United States.