INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) integrated the ATO Lab ultrasonic metal atomizer into its HAMMER Hub to enable controlled, in-house metal powder production for advanced research applications. By atomizing radiopure batches and tuning particle size distribution (PSD) for PBF-LB metal Additive Manufacturing, INFN improves powder control and repeatability - measuring better powder sphericity versus commercial powders and accelerates iterative alloy development. The setup also supports INFN’s expanding materials workflow, including a new ATEX laboratory area and the IMS induction melting module for broader material routes.
Controlled Powder Production for Advanced Research Applications - INFN
Case study
Additive Manufacturing
About INFN
The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) is Italy’s national research body dedicated to the study of the fundamental constituents of matter and the laws that govern them. Founded in 1951, INFN conducts and coordinates theoretical and experimental research in nuclear, particle, and astroparticle physics, as well as in related fields such as accelerator science, detector development, and advanced computing. INFN operates through a nationwide network of laboratories and university sections, and manages major research infrastructures including the National Laboratories of Frascati (LNF), Gran Sasso (LNGS), Legnaro (LNL), and Southern Laboratories (LNS). It plays a leading role in large international collaborations and experiments hosted at major facilities worldwide, notably at CERN.
Within LNGS, the HAMMER Hub (Hub for Additive Manufacturing, Materials Engineering and Research) supports advanced design, additive manufacturing of metal and polymer parts, materials engineering, and characterization. It serves both cutting-edge scientific experiments and technology transfer to industry.
INTRODUCTION
Modern physics experiments and high-value industrial applications increasingly depend on custom, high-performance materials. These often require strict constraints such as radiopurity, controlled microstructure, and repeatable powder behavior in metal additive manufacturing. To expand its internal capability from design through production and validation, INFN LNGS developed the HAMMER Hub and integrated additive manufacturing with materials engineering, including lab-scale powder production for selected research needs.
THE CHALLENGE
INFN typically purchases metal powders from specialized suppliers, but certain activities require capabilities that are difficult to meet with standard commercial materials. This includes atomization from radiopure batches and exploratory alloy research where rapid iteration on chemistry and powder morphology is essential. For powder bed fusion laser beam (PBF-LB), particle size distribution (PSD) is a key requirement, and the ability to validate powder behavior in-house supports process stability and part quality.
