Vibenite 290, Hardest Steel in the World?

[Fireman]

The ability to print your own knife blade with minimal grinding is quite the improvement.

[JD Spydo]

Now something this hard would almost have to be a "sintered" form of steel wouldn't it? Tungsten Carbide is "sintered" as well as some of the newer space age ceramics.

I've not yet heard of this one either. This is probably a "Larrin" question.

[Chrisswe]

Hi everyone,

I've been in contact with Kristi Hunter and Alex Smith of Spyderco, but I have yet to recieve a response. A test project could definitely be interesting though.

As the forum rules does not allow me to "sell" anything, I can't discuss sending slabs or blanks unfortunately.

The steel is not sintered, which is a common misconception. We melt powder to a full density final shape, with standard heat treatment being the only post treatment if we exclude grinding. This allows us to make all kinds of different shapes and complex structures, which should be a designers wet dream.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them.

Chris

[sal]

Hi Chris,

How do you form your pieces and how would we go about getting a sample that we could test?

sal

[Chrisswe]

Hi Chris,

How do you form your pieces and how would we go about getting a sample that we could test?

sal

Hello Sal,

The pieces are formed in the machine, during the 3D-printing process. We just need a 3D-CAD-drawing, and the machine does the rest. Of course we have to add grinding allowances to the drawing.

Due to the forum rules I cannot reply to your request regarding a sample, I think. I'll send you an email instead.

Best regards Chris

[Buddafucco]

Due to the forum rules I cannot reply to your request regarding a sample, I think. I'll send you an email instead.

Best regards Chris

Fyi... Sal founded Spyderco and these forums. :)

[RustyIron]

The pieces are formed in the machine, during the 3D-printing process. We just need a 3D-CAD-drawing, and the machine does the rest. Of course we have to add grinding allowances to the drawing.

You can 3D print a knife blade that only requires finish grinding? Your newfangled steel doesn't intrigue me as much as does your printing process. That's got to be quite a contraption.

[JRinFL]

Due to the forum rules I cannot reply to your request regarding a sample, I think. I'll send you an email instead.

Best regards Chris

Fyi... Sal founded Spyderco and these forums. :)

I forgot that I wanted to post that "Sal IS Spyderco".

[Bill1170]

Chris, is the powder fused via laser heating?

[Chrisswe]

I had no idea! He mentioned it in his email though.

A blade can be printed with a surface that is similar to grit 80-100 paper. This means that we have to add a grinding allowace of rougly 0.6mm to a surface, for us to be able to grind it clean. It still saves you ALOT of time to be able to print the general shape and bevel of the blade, of course.

The powder is not fused by laser. We melt it with an electron beam in vacuum. The technology is called EBM.

[Bill1170]

I had no idea! He mentioned it in his email though.

A blade can be printed with a surface that is similar to grit 80-100 paper. This means that we have to add a grinding allowace of rougly 0.6mm to a surface, for us to be able to grind it clean. It still saves you ALOT of time to be able to print the general shape and bevel of the blade, of course.

The powder is not fused by laser. We melt it with an electron beam in vacuum. The technology is called EBM.

Thanks! Near net-shape manufacturing is fascinating.

[Enactive]

I had no idea! He mentioned it in his email though.

A blade can be printed with a surface that is similar to grit 80-100 paper. This means that we have to add a grinding allowace of rougly 0.6mm to a surface, for us to be able to grind it clean. It still saves you ALOT of time to be able to print the general shape and bevel of the blade, of course.

The powder is not fused by laser. We melt it with an electron beam in vacuum. The technology is called EBM.

Thanks! Near net-shape manufacturing is fascinating.

Yes, this reminded me of near net forging. :cool:

[sal]

Hey Chris_P_Bacon,

Thanx for bringing this to our attention.

Chrisswe,

Thanx much for joining in. Thanx also for the email info. Exciting stuff, actually, at least for me. Hopefully we can move forward.

sal
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Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind.

[curlyhairedboy]

Oh man, EBM blades? That would be an exciting mule...

[Fireman]

Oh man, EBM blades? That would be an exciting mule...

Put me on the list for a mule in this steel.