Freemelt lands SEK 28 million order for 7,000 printed tungsten parts from ESS

Swedish electron beam specialist Freemelt has won a SEK 28 million order (about $2.8 million) from the European Spallation Source. It covers 7,000 tungsten parts for the facility's target wheel, delivered over 14 months, mostly in 2027. The order is production volume for a metal that is still mostly handled in research and qualification projects.

Context Electron beam powder bed fusion (E-PBF) melts metal powder with an electron beam under vacuum, a setting well suited to reactive and high-melting metals such as tungsten.

What is Freemelt delivering to ESS?

Freemelt will produce and deliver 7,000 tungsten components for the target wheel system of the European Spallation Source, one of Europe's largest research infrastructures. Deliveries run over 14 months, with most of them in 2027.

In the target wheel, a proton beam from the accelerator hits the tungsten and releases neutrons, which researchers use to study materials at atomic level. Freemelt names tungsten's high melting point, thermal conductivity and resistance to thermal, mechanical and radiation stress as the reasons for the choice.

How will the order be fulfilled?

The work sits in Freemelt's Manufacturing business area, together with partners from powder supply through to qualified finished parts. The components have a limited service life and must be replaced from time to time, which Freemelt sees as a basis for repeat orders from ESS.

CEO Daniel Gidlund called the order validation of the company's broader strategy, and pointed to growing customer demand for qualified manufacturing capacity and regional supply chains.

Where does this fit in Freemelt's tungsten work?

Freemelt has moved from selling machines to producing components. In September it received a large order from Fusion for Energy for tungsten parts, followed by a feasibility study with a Swedish defense company on refractory metals and an MoU with Proxima Fusion. Its systems are also used by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Loughborough University and HAMR Industries.

Elsewhere, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has printed defect-free tungsten parts by electron beam, the UK DIADEM project is grading tungsten to copper transitions, and powder makers such as 6K Additive and Elmet Technologies are expanding tungsten offerings.

What it means

For manufacturers watching refractory metals, this is a rare case of series volume rather than a demonstrator. The order value works out to about SEK 4,000 per part, and delivery is tied to qualification and a partner chain, which shows that a supplier needs more than a machine. For small and mid sized European firms, the practical lesson is that access to powder, vacuum process know-how and documented quality will decide who gets such work. The timeline, deliveries mostly in 2027, shows how long qualified production takes.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Freemelt order from ESS worth?

SEK 28 million, about $2.8 million, for 7,000 tungsten components delivered over 14 months, mostly in 2027.

Why is tungsten used in the ESS target wheel?

A proton beam strikes the tungsten to produce neutrons. Freemelt cites its high melting point, thermal conductivity and resistance to thermal, mechanical and radiation stress.

Could ESS order more parts later?

Freemelt says the components have a finite service life and need periodic replacement, which could lead to further business with ESS.

This summary was written with the help of AI from the linked reports, under the editorial responsibility of Svetozar Kolesar.