10 March 2025

Freemelt receives order from UKAEA for proof-of-concept of production scalability of tungsten tiles

Even though fusion energy has not yet reached its major breakthrough, there is already a growing market in the experimental projects. Our member company Freemelt, a manufacturer of metal 3D printers, has now received a new order from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to conduct production scalability tests of 3D-printed tungsten tiles.

Daniel Gidlund, CEO at Freemelt

The project builds on previous feasibility studies and aims to demonstrate volume production using Freemelt’s E-PBF (Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion) technology and its industrial machine, eMELT.

The order is valued at approximately SEK 0.7 million, with delivery expected in the first quarter of 2025.

This milestone strengthens Freemelt’s position in the energy sector, particularly within fusion energy, where advanced materials like tungsten are needed. The tests will validate production scalability and repeatability to support future component qualification for fusion reactors.

Tungsten and fusion

“The fact that we now advance the collaboration to volume production tests of tungsten tiles is an important confirmation that our E-PBF technology meets the demanding requirements in fusion energy,” says Daniel Gidlund, CEO of Freemelt.

“Tungsten is one of the most challenging materials to process, and our technology enables the production of complex components with high quality.”

Collaboration

Freemelt and UKAEA have been collaborating since 2023, working together on several projects to develop materials and manufacturing processes for next-generation fusion power plants.

Big Science Sweden congratulates Freemelt on this important order.

Read the full press release

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