Metal Wastes From Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is trending and revolutionizing the world of manufacturing. Globe Metal® Recycling works with AM companies that are producing parts for the aviation and aerospace sector, the medical industry, dental manufacturing companies, and automotive production to recycle their metal wastes, ranging from used metal powders/supports/sludges. Some common metal wastes from additive manufacturing include titanium and its alloys, aluminum alloys, cobalt-based alloys, tool steels, nickel-based alloys, stainless steels, copper alloys, and precious metal alloys like gold, platinum, palladium and silver. Additive manufacturing metal recycling is critical and beneficial.

Why Should You Recycle?

Metals can be repeatedly recycled without degradation of their properties compared to other recycled materials, and recycling metals have many environmental benefits including saving energy and resources and reducing pollution.

Many companies are paying to have their metal wastes landfilled which is expensive and not-at-all environmentally friendly. Globe Metal® provides our AM customers much more economic options, and we will take all your metal wastes and safely handle and process them.

Read About How We Help AM Customers Recycle Their Used Metal Powders:

Situation: An Additive Manufacturing Company for Medical Equipment produced low volumes of stainless steel and aluminum powder wastes that had very expensive landfill costs.

Approach: The company repackaged the material into the original containers and added hazmat labels according to the shipping requirements. Globe Metal® organized hazmat freight service from the supplier’s location. The company was paid on the recovery on each different grade of material (Inconel 625, Hastelloy-C, titanium 6-4 & Aluminum powders). Supplier covered the transportation costs due to the low volume of material-3 skids.

Net Benefits:

• The AM company received a certificate of recycling;
• Material was being handled safely and validated by third party regulators;
• Metals were put back into the circular economy for reproduction or other purposes;
• Company avoided disposal costs.

Why Recycle With Globe Metal®?

Globe Metal® is a certified recycler of metals with established network all over the world. We are knowledgeable and experienced in handling metal wastes from additive manufacturing. Globe Metal® guarantees a fair return of your metal wastes, and we provide a safe and clear handling of different types of metal materials (packaging, transporting, and recycling). Our Account Managers work across different industries and strive to find our customers the optimal recycling solutions.

Metal Wastes From Additive Manufacturing:

Contaminated metal powers and “splatter” materials are common wastes from the laser process. These are metal powders which have changed either chemically or physically and can no longer be applied to the production process. Other sources of metal wastes are used or defect samples and used parts and machines. Globe Metal® has the advantage in handling mixed materials, so let us help you with the recycling of all your metal wastes. No volume is too small, no project is too large.

Common Metal Wastes:

Titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, cobalt chromium, aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg and nickel-based superalloys (hastelloy X; Inconel 100; Inconel 625; Inconel 718; Inconel 939; K465; Nimonic 263; Rene 142).

Standard Procedures:

1. Provide material information (types, weights, storage conditions, photos, etc.);
2. Receive terms and offers from Globe Metal®;
3. Globe Metal® arranges shipment of your materials;
4. Globe Metal® recycles assorted materials through our global network;
5. Receive recycling proofs and payments on your materials.

Read about Best Practices to Recycling Metal Powders in Additive Manufacturing

For questions relating to any metal, or to enquire about how your company could benefit from our profitable recycling program, please reach out to an expert at 1-800-700-6382 or sales@globemetal.com.

Globe Metal® is a proud member of Minor Metals Trade Association.