General Introduction

rePOWDER is a laboratory‑scale ultrasonic atomization system designed for materials science research and the production of metal powders, offering a high‑end, customized solution tailored to the demanding requirements of advanced powder manufacturing. Targeting the powder‑production needs of the metal additive manufacturing sector, it enables ultrasonic atomization of a wide range of metallic and alloy feedstocks, making it well suited to cutting‑edge material R&D and small‑batch, high‑quality powder production in research institutions and leading manufacturing enterprises. Since its launch, rePOWDER has provided robust technical support to numerous materials research teams, capable of processing a broad array of elements from the periodic table as well as composite 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 seldom found on the market. The system features a compact, laboratory‑friendly design that balances ease of operation with precise process control, seamlessly integrating 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 development, rePOWDER provides a mature hardware platform for advancing ultrasonic atomization technology in high‑end powder manufacturing.

Working principle

The core operating principle of rePOWDER is based on ultrasonic atomization technology. The entire process revolves around three key stages: melting the metallic feedstock, ultrasonic breakup, and atomization followed by condensation into powder, all carried out within a controlled atmosphere and pressure environment. First, the equipment feeds the metal or alloy feedstock—via a dedicated feeding system—into the melting chamber. A precisely calibrated heating system then melts the material completely under vacuum or in an inert protective atmosphere, producing a homogeneous liquid metal melt. During heating, parameter adjustments allow for fine‑tuning of the melt temperature, preventing oxidation or compositional segregation and ensuring melt homogeneity. Next, the molten metal flows under gravity to form a stable liquid column, which passes through the device’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, whose precise frequency acts upon the liquid column, inducing periodic surface oscillations. When the vibrational energy reaches a critical threshold, the liquid column is fragmented into micron‑scale droplets, completing the core ultrasonic atomization step. Finally, the atomized droplets enter a condensation chamber, where they are rapidly solidified by the cooling effect of a high‑velocity inert gas stream, yielding spherical particles with a narrow particle size distribution. A staged collection system separates and collects powders according to particle size. Throughout the process, there is no introduction of impurities—a common issue in conventional atomization—and both the breakup and condensation parameters 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 copper and other precious metals like silver–gold 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 readily.

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. For ultrasonic welding, the sonotrode is fed from the top and melted; accordingly, the sonotrode must be fabricated from a suitable material to enhance its durability. This method transmits mechanical waves into the workpiece while minimizing external contamination.

Suitable for use in combination with medium- to high-melting-point materials, 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 laboratory‑scale ultrasonic atomization system, rePOWDER boasts distinctive advantages in technical performance, material compatibility, and process controllability, while offering multiple application benefits compared with conventional powder‑production equipment. In terms of material‑handling capability, the device demonstrates broad adaptability, capable of processing single metals, binary and multinary alloys, as well as specialized materials such as high‑entropy alloys, amorphous alloys, and magnesium–zinc‑based biodegradable alloys. Leveraging AMAZEMET’s decades of experience in materials processing, it can tailor dedicated atomization protocols to the specific physical properties of each material, thereby addressing the challenge of producing high‑quality powders from certain exotic alloys using traditional methods. Regarding process precision, the system allows independent adjustment and fine control over a full suite of parameters—including melt temperature, ultrasonic vibration frequency, condensation rate, and ambient pressure—offering wide tuning ranges and exceptional accuracy. This enables customized production of metal powders with tailored particle sizes and sphericity to meet diverse research and manufacturing needs, while ensuring excellent consistency in powder quality and satisfying the stringent requirements of metal additive manufacturing. From a design perspective, the equipment features a compact laboratory footprint, a streamlined user interface, and ease of use, facilitating repeated process trials by researchers. It is also equipped with comprehensive safety safeguards and an advanced atmosphere‑control system, supporting atomization under vacuum, argon, nitrogen, and other atmospheres to effectively prevent oxidation during powder synthesis and maintain high purity. Furthermore, leveraging core ultrasonic atomization technology, rePOWDER produces powders with superior sphericity, lower hollow‑particle content, and higher raw‑material utilization compared with conventional gas‑ or water‑atomization processes. This enables efficient powder production at the laboratory scale, while keeping maintenance costs low and minimizing consumable 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 refines its process library, providing users with cutting‑edge material‑processing solutions.

Application Areas and Use Cases

Leveraging its advanced powder‑production capabilities, rePOWDER is widely employed in areas such as metal additive‑manufacturing R&D, cutting‑edge materials science, prototyping of high‑end equipment components, and biomedical materials development, serving the material‑R&D and small‑batch production needs of research institutes, universities, and leading manufacturing enterprises. In the field of metal additive manufacturing, the system delivers tailored powders for processes like laser powder‑bed fusion (LPBF) and electron‑beam powder‑bed fusion (PBF‑EB), addressing the limited compatibility of standard powders in certain AM applications—for instance, supporting the production of high‑quality, small‑batch titanium and high‑temperature alloy powders for aerospace component development. In advanced materials research, it has become a key piece of equipment for developing novel materials such as high‑entropy alloys and amorphous alloys. It participated in the PD4AM2SoftMag project under the EU’s Horizon EIC research program, producing high‑quality iron‑based amorphous powders to enable the development of complex‑shaped amorphous soft magnetic components for high‑efficiency electric motors. This project aims to scale up the production of iron‑based amorphous powders via ultrasonic atomization, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency of power‑generation equipment and providing technological support for Europe’s Green Deal. In the realm of biomedical materials, rePOWDER contributed to the BIOMET4D project by atomizing magnesium‑ and zinc‑based biodegradable alloys, with the resulting powders used in the additive manufacturing of biodegradable shape‑memory metal actuators—components suited for minimally invasive surgical instruments. Throughout the process, the equipment ensured the high purity and biocompatibility of the alloy powders, while optimized powder‑production and recycling protocols enabled closed‑loop resource utilization, aligning with sustainable‑development principles. In the domain of clean‑energy materials, rePOWDER prepared customized FeCrAlY alloy powders for the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) 2022 project. These powders were employed in spark plasma sintering (SPS) and electron‑beam powder‑bed fusion processes, helping to develop open‑volume receivers for concentrated solar‑power plants and boosting the performance of clean‑energy systems.