General Introduction

rePOWDER is a laboratory-scale ultrasonic atomization system designed for materials science research and the production of high-end metal powders. As the brand’s core ultrasonic atomization platform for powder manufacturing, it offers a cutting-edge, customized solution for producing high-performance metal powders that meet the most demanding specifications. Focused on the powder-production needs of the metal additive-manufacturing sector, this equipment enables ultrasonic atomization of a wide range of metallic and alloy feedstocks, making it ideally suited for pioneering materials R&D and small-batch, high-quality powder production in research institutions and advanced manufacturing enterprises. Since its launch, rePOWDER has provided technical support to numerous renowned materials-research teams worldwide, capable of processing a broad spectrum of elements from the periodic table as well as complex alloys—including conventional metals, high-entropy alloys, amorphous alloys, and other specialized materials. Over the past five years, it has facilitated the preparation of powders for more than 200 alloy compositions, many of which are rare, custom-designed alloy systems not readily available on the market. The system features a compact, laboratory-friendly design that balances ease of operation with precise process control, enabling seamless integration with downstream processes such as metal additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy. It also supports full-process parameter optimization for powder production, meeting diverse research and production requirements for particle size, morphology, and purity. As a critical piece of equipment in the metal-powder-preparation stage of materials R&D, rePOWDER provides a mature hardware platform for the application of ultrasonic atomization technology in high-end powder production.

Working Principle

The core operating principle of rePOWDER is based on advanced ultrasonic atomization technology, which also constitutes one of AMAZEMET’s key patented technologies. The entire process revolves around three core stages: melting of the metal feedstock, ultrasonic breakup, and atomization followed by condensation into powder, all carried out under precisely controlled atmospheric and pressure conditions. First, the equipment feeds the metal or alloy feedstock—via a dedicated feeding mechanism—into the melting chamber, where a highly precise heating system ensures complete melting under vacuum or in a protective atmosphere, yielding a homogeneous molten metal. During heating, parameter adjustments enable fine control of the melt temperature, thereby preventing oxidation or compositional segregation and guaranteeing melt homogeneity. Subsequently, the molten metal flow, driven by gravity, forms a stable liquid column that passes through the equipment’s ultrasonic vibration assembly. This assembly comprises a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer and an atomizing nozzle; the transducer converts electrical energy into high-frequency mechanical vibrations, which are precisely applied to the metal column, inducing periodic vibrational waves at its surface. When the vibrational energy reaches a critical threshold, the metal column is fragmented into micron-sized droplets, completing the core ultrasonic atomization process. Finally, the atomized metal droplets enter the condensation chamber, where rapid cooling by a high-velocity inert gas facilitates swift solidification, producing metal powders with high sphericity and a narrow particle-size distribution. A staged collection system then separates and collects powders according to their respective particle sizes. Throughout the process, there is no introduction of impurities—a common issue in conventional atomization methods—and both the parameters for melt breakup and condensation can be independently adjusted, enabling precise control over the powder’s microstructure and physical properties.

Two types of heat sources

① Induction melting

Induction melting is typically used to process alloys with melting points as high as 1300°C, such as:

• Volatile materials with relatively low melting points that readily evaporate in a plasma, such as Sn, Zn, Mg, Pb, and Al alloys.
• Materials with high heat capacity and high thermal conductivity, such as Cu and other precious metals like Ag–Au alloys.
• Materials of any shape and form can be placed in the crucible, including final alloys, master alloys, or pure elements.
• Under the influence of magnetic stirring, materials tend to alloy easily.

② Arc/Plasma Melting

Heating can be carried out in an inert or reactive atmosphere using an electric arc (TIG generator) or a focused plasma. The top feed and melting of the ultrasonic welding horn require the use of suitably selected materials to enhance its performance; this approach enables mechanical waves to be transmitted to the workpiece while minimizing external contamination.

Suitable for use in combination with materials of medium to high melting points, including:

• Iron-based alloy
• Ti-, Ni-, Pt-, and Ir-based alloys
• Refractory materials, such as W, Ta, V, Mo, Nb, and Re, as well as high-entropy alloys
• Metal matrix composites

Advantages and Key Features

As a high-end, laboratory-grade ultrasonic atomization system, rePOWDER boasts outstanding performance in technical specifications, material compatibility, and process control, while offering multiple application advantages over conventional powder-production equipment. In terms of material-handling capability, the system demonstrates exceptional versatility: it can process pure metals, binary and multicomponent alloys, and even specialized materials such as high-entropy alloys, amorphous alloys, and magnesium–zinc–based biodegradable alloys, enabling their atomization into fine powders. Leveraging AMAZEMET’s many years of experience in materials processing, the system can tailor dedicated atomization protocols to the specific physical properties of each material, thereby overcoming the challenge of producing high-quality powders from certain special alloys using traditional methods. Regarding process precision, the equipment allows independent adjustment and precise control of all key parameters throughout the entire process, including melt temperature, ultrasonic vibration frequency, condensation rate, and atmosphere pressure. With a wide adjustment range and high accuracy, users can customize the production of metal powders with varying particle sizes and sphericity to meet research and manufacturing needs, ensuring excellent consistency in powder properties and satisfying the stringent requirements of metal additive manufacturing for powder feedstock. From a design perspective, the system features a compact laboratory layout that occupies minimal floor space and an intuitive user interface, facilitating repeated process trials by researchers. It is also equipped with comprehensive safety protection and atmosphere-control systems, enabling atomization under various atmospheres—including vacuum, argon, and nitrogen—thereby effectively preventing oxidation of metal powders during production and maintaining powder purity. Furthermore, thanks to its core ultrasonic atomization technology, rePOWDER produces powders with higher sphericity, lower hollow-particle content, and higher raw-material utilization compared with conventional gas-atomization and water-atomization processes. This enables efficient powder production at the laboratory scale, while keeping maintenance costs low and minimizing wear parts, making it well suited for long-term research experiments and small-batch production. On the technical-support front, rePOWDER benefits from AMAZEMET’s ongoing R&D assistance; through scientific collaborations and technical publications, the brand continuously updates its process library, providing users with the latest material-processing solutions.

Application Areas and Use Cases

Leveraging its state-of-the-art powder-production capabilities, rePOWDER is extensively employed in areas such as R&D for metal additive manufacturing, advanced materials science, prototyping of high-end equipment components, and the development of biomedical materials. It serves the material R&D and small-batch production needs of research institutions, universities, and high-end manufacturing enterprises worldwide, and has emerged as a core powder-production platform in numerous international research projects. In the field of metal additive manufacturing, the system provides customized powders for processes such as laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) and electron-beam powder-bed fusion (PBF-EB), addressing the challenge of insufficient compatibility of standard powders in certain high-end AM applications—for example, supporting the production of small-batch, high-quality titanium and high-temperature alloy powders for the R&D of aerospace components. In advanced materials research, it has become a critical piece of equipment for developing novel materials such as high-entropy alloys and amorphous alloys, notably contributing to the PD4AM2SoftMag project under the EU’s Horizon EIC research program by producing high-quality iron-based amorphous powders. These powders have facilitated the development of complex-shaped amorphous soft-magnetic components for high-efficiency motors, with the project aiming to scale up ultrasonic atomization technology for the mass production of iron-based amorphous powders, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency of power equipment and providing technological support for the European Green Deal. In the realm of biomedical-materials R&D, rePOWDER has participated in the BIOMET4D project, completing the atomization-based powder production of magnesium- and zinc-based biodegradable alloys. The resulting powders are used in the additive manufacturing of biodegradable shape-memory-metal actuators, which are suitable for the development of minimally invasive surgical instruments. Throughout the process, the equipment ensures high purity and biocompatibility of the alloy powders, while optimized powder-production and recycling workflows enable the circular use of raw materials, aligning with the principles of sustainable development. In the field of clean-energy materials, rePOWDER has produced custom FeCrAlY alloy powders for the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) 2022 project; these powders are utilized in spark-plasma sintering (SPS) and electron-beam powder-bed fusion processes, supporting the R&D of open-volume receivers for concentrated solar power plants and enhancing the performance of clean-energy equipment.