SSI Sintered Specialties invested in a high-temperature refractory metal-lined vacuum furnace from Elnik Systems to expand its services into powder-metallurgy processes. The furnace, which is scheduled for installation in September 2021, will join a growing fleet of new equipment at SSI’s technology center in Janesville, Wis. Along with providing customers advanced powder-metallurgy processing, this investment positions SSI to immediately target the addition of metal 3D printing to its portfolio and the expansion of its current metal injection molding (MIM) operations. The furnace will also allow SSI to develop sintering profiles for both technologies.

Along with processing large powder-metal parts, prototypes and pre-production runs, SSI will implement an advanced feedstock material that enables the production of large-sized MIM parts that are greater than 200 grams. The addition of the vacuum furnace also allows SSI to expand its alloy and material development interests beyond variations of stainless-steel alloys, including processing metal-matrix composites and reactive materials such as titanium alloys.