SSAB launches Armox 500 AM Powder, first protective steel powder for additive manufacturing, at Eurosatory

SSAB, the Swedish specialty steel producer, introduced Armox 500 AM Powder at the Eurosatory defense expo on June 15, 2026, claiming it is the world's first steel powder designed specifically for protective/ballistic applications in additive manufacturing. The powder matches the ballistic properties of SSAB's Armox 500 armor plate, and SSAB reports it has already attracted interest from key defense customers. The powder is produced at SSAB's Oxelösund, Sweden facility, with a commercial-scale expansion underway targeting approximately 350 tonnes per year capacity, ramping up from Q1 2028.

This launch is significant because it bridges a critical gap in defense AM: the ability to add localized, geometrically optimized protection to vulnerable vehicle components such as camera housings, antenna mounts, and sensor enclosures—parts that are typically machined from solid plate or welded, and often become failure points even when the main armor is intact. Armox 500 AM Powder enables DfAM-optimized lattice or cellular structures inside brackets and housings, delivering ballistic protection without post-processing heat treatment. In the context of the 2025-26 defense acceleration wave, where NDAA Section 849 will reshape procurement for AM-qualified parts, having a certified, domestically producible protective steel powder directly from an established steelmaker gives military integrators a lower-risk path to deploy AM in peripheral but tactically critical components. SSAB positions itself here as both a materials vendor and a supply-chain anchor, leveraging decades of Armox plate credibility.

For defense primes and tier-one suppliers, the practical value lies in qualification leverage: using the same alloy chemistry as proven Armox plate should shorten ballistic certification cycles compared to developing a new powder from scratch. The limitation remains scale and variety—350 tonnes per year is modest compared to conventional plate production, and only one grade is available now. SSAB's next step is to demonstrate consistent, repeatable ballistic performance across multiple LPBF printer platforms and build configurations, then expand grade offerings. For now, this is a credible, niche-enabling material release, not a market disruption.