Renishaw Helps Cookson Industrial Make Platinum Rhodium Parts for Additive Manufacturing Commercially Viable

Renishaw has played a pivotal role in helping Cookson Industrial, a leading pioneer in precious metal additive manufacturing (AM), successfully produce platinum rhodium parts for industrial use. This breakthrough, made possible by funding and expertise from Renishaw, addresses the high cost of precious metals and opens up new opportunities in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, medical, and glass fibre manufacturing.

Cookson Industrial, based in Birmingham, is part of Cooksongold, one of the world’s largest suppliers of precious metals and components to the global jewellery industry. Their parent company, HM Precious Metals, is a major European refiner and processor of precious metals, employing over 950 people across seven countries.

Specialising in the design, development, and production of precious metal alloys and products, Cookson Industrial provides a wide range of services, including R&D, new product development (NPD), consultancy, and production. The company supports industries from aerospace to medical with the design of wire, sheet, grain, sputtering targets, brazing alloys, and atomised powders.

One of the most valuable applications of precious metals is the creation of platinum rhodium, a highly resistant alloy made by combining rhodium with platinum. Platinum rhodium is used in demanding applications, including furnace windings and bushings for glass fibre production, due to its unique ability to withstand the extreme heat and corrosive environment of molten glass. However, with platinum rhodium being one of the most expensive metals in the world—costing around £80,000 per kilogram—keeping production costs under control is crucial.

To achieve this, Cookson Industrial sought to 3D print extrusion moulds for the glass fibre industry using platinum rhodium. Given the metal’s high cost, reducing waste and reusing powder was essential. This is where Renishaw’s RenAM 500S Flex AM system, part of their high-productivity laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems, offered the ideal solution. Optimised for R&D applications, the RenAM 500S Flex comes with an open-loop powder system that enables easy powder swapping, helping to accelerate material qualification, part design, and process parameters.

Cookson Industrial tasked Renishaw’s AM engineering team with customising the RenAM 500S Flex to optimise powder retrieval and reduce powder loss. Initially, the system achieved less than 1.5% powder loss. However, the company aimed for even lower waste, targeting a reduction to less than 0.5% to minimise costs and preserve valuable platinum rhodium powder.

Jason Morgan, Senior Applications Engineer at Renishaw, explained: “Minimising wastage of precious platinum rhodium powder was a key priority for Cookson Industrial. We worked closely with their engineers to identify areas where powder could be trapped and redesigned components to improve powder retrieval, ensuring minimal impact on system performance.”

The customisation process included removing parts where powder could accumulate, such as overflow bellows and the rear overflow vent system. Renishaw further optimised the chamber design to ensure no powder was lost during the depowdering process. Special casings and covers were also designed for the lower chamber, powder flask chamber, and filter cabinet to prevent powder traps.

Thanks to these modifications, the RenAM 500S Flex saw a remarkable 95% reduction in trapped powder, significantly lowering material wastage. As a result, Cookson Industrial was able to recover the equivalent of a teaspoon of powder per cycle—translating to savings of approximately £1,000 per cycle. This reduction in wastage allows Cookson Industrial to make the production of platinum rhodium parts commercially viable, saving the company hundreds of thousands of pounds over the machine’s lifetime.

Nikesh Patel, Head of Cookson Industrial, commented, “Renishaw’s technology and expertise were crucial to the success of this project. By minimising powder loss, we’ve made the production of high-value platinum rhodium parts a feasible and scalable option. This will help us secure a competitive edge in industries that demand such precision components.”

Following the success of the RenAM 500S Flex, Cookson Industrial plans to expand its use of platinum rhodium for applications in catalysts, aerospace engine nozzles, and other high-value components.

Morgan concluded, “Our successful collaboration with Cookson Industrial demonstrates how Renishaw supports its customers from the early stages of their AM journey. The ability to make precious metals viable in additive manufacturing is a significant milestone, and we’re excited to see where this collaboration takes them in the future.”