Continuum Powders and Mastrex Pre-Qualify Metal Powders for LPBF Printers

Continuum Powders and Mastrex are combining forces to remove one of the biggest headaches in metal additive manufacturing: qualifying a new powder on an unfamiliar LPBF machine. The partnership will deliver pre-validated processing parameters and material data for cobalt chrome, Ti-6Al-4V, and 17-4 stainless steel on Mastrex's MX series systems.

Right now, a shop that buys a new metal powder often spends weeks tuning laser power, scan speed, layer thickness, and support structures from scratch. That work is expensive, and the results are not always transferable to another machine. Continuum and Mastrex want to hand over a tested parameter set instead, so users can move from powder purchase to production prints faster.

The approach mirrors what other industry groups have started. Qualloy, Rosswag Engineering, and Eplus3D launched a similar validation program in May. Velo3D has been qualifying Ti-6Al-4V powder from Amaero at Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence. But the Continuum-Mastrex deal is notable because it ties a specific powder supplier directly to a specific printer line, giving buyers a matched hardware and material stack.

What is pre-validation worth

For production environments, pre-validated parameters mean shorter quote times and lower scrap rates. A machine shop that needs to print a titanium bracket for aerospace or medical use does not want to discover mid-build that the hatch distance is wrong. Having Continuum's powder specs and Mastrex's process window already married removes that risk.

The initial material list covers three of the most common LPBF alloys. Cobalt chrome is popular for dental and aerospace wear parts. Ti-6Al-4V dominates medical implants and jet engine components. 17-4 stainless steel is a go-to for tooling and industrial hardware. If the partnership expands to additional alloys, it could become a standard onboarding path for shops buying into the MX platform.

Continuum Powders has been building its metal powder portfolio for additive manufacturing, while Mastrex has focused on laser powder bed fusion systems aimed at production users. The collaboration makes sense because both companies are targeting the same transition: moving LPBF from prototyping to repeatable, qualified production.