Granutools at WorldPM2026

Granutools will participate in WorldPM2026, held jointly with AMPM2026 and Tungsten2026, a major international congress covering powder metallurgy, advanced materials processing, and related manufacturing technologies.

The event will take place from June 25 to 29, 2026, in Montreal, Canada, bringing together industrial stakeholders, researchers, and experts from powder-based industries worldwide.

Visit us at Booth 525

Granutools will be present as an exhibitor and actively contribute to technical discussions throughout the congress. Stéphane Caubergh will be available at booth 525 to engage with professionals involved in material development, process optimization, and applied research in powder metallurgy and materials engineering.

During the event, Granutools will present laboratory instrumentation dedicated to quantitative powder characterization, with a focus on properties relevant to powder handling, compaction, and processing.

• GranuPack, used for analyzing powder packing and compressibility behavior
• Permeability Unit, designed to measure gas flow through powder beds under controlled consolidation conditions

The data generated by these systems support R&D activities, process development, and modeling approaches where reproducible powder parameters are required.

WorldPM2026 provides a strong technical framework to discuss how experimental powder measurements can be integrated into industrial workflows, simulation models, and material selection strategies.

Oral Presentation: Spreadability of Metal Powders: Combining Powder Characterization and DEM Simulations

Stéphane Caubergh 
🕓 4:10 PM

Good powder spreadability is essential in powder bed-based additive manufacturing (AM), as poor spreadability can lead to irregular layer deposition and defects in final parts.

Previous studies have demonstrated the link between the Cohesive Index, measured with the GranuDrum, and the irregularity of powder layers observed in SLM processes. While in-situ optical monitoring provides a global assessment of spreadability, it does not allow detailed analysis of defect shape and size.

This work combines experimental characterization with Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. Measurements obtained with the GranuDrum are used to calibrate a digital twin, enabling accurate simulation of powder behavior.

The calibrated model is then used to investigate the influence of:

• Cohesive strength
• Particle size and shape
• Recoater speed

The results confirm the strong relationship between the Cohesive Index and powder spreadability, providing a robust framework to better understand and predict powder behavior in AM processes.