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3D liquid metal printing


Liquid Metal 3D Printing Makes Its Debut

Not unlike having a backup server or installing redundancy in critical systems, the on-demand nature of 3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing (AM)—can help end-users navigate increasingly common supply chain disruptions caused by trade shake-ups, unexpected supplier limitations, and global pandemics. In addition to allowing operators to rapidly produce spare parts that may no longer be available from the original manufacturers, AM continues to show promise in mass production, with some manufacturers using it to ramp up output of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, AM is not without its challenges. This is particularly true with powder bed fusion (PBF), a process commonly employed in commercial and industrial 3D printing applications where a laser or electron beam is used to melt and fuse powdered materials together. For instance, objects printed with PBF may exhibit weak structural properties compared to other manufacturing processes and may require post-processing, adding labor and costs.

That said, recent innovations in a production methodology called liquid metal jet printing (LMJP) may help to surmount these issues.

 Xerox’s new ElemX 3D liquid metal printer is one of the first products on the market to employ the technology. Rather than powder inputs, The ElemX uses molten solid metal provided by standard commodity aluminum wire fed into the machine. According to Xerox, this new method can decrease total cost of ownership, increase cycle times, and improve safety, all while providing production-grade parts.

In an in-house use case, reported by Forbes, Xerox was able to deploy its own technology to great success. When a bracket for a digital press required replacement, the ElemX was able to reproduce the part within four hours with an estimated 21% reduction in costs and 43% decrease in CO2 emissions compared to traditional metal casting. In a second trial, in which it was benchmarked against a PBF AM system, the ElemX produced the same bracket at an estimated 38% cost savings and a 40% reduction in cycle time.

Moreover, independent research from the State University of New York and Concordia University asserts that LMJP may be up to 10 times faster and one-tenth the cost of prevailing AM methods. In addition, this research notes that LMJP may lead to denser metal parts with finer microstructures, resulting in a 30% or greater increase in overall tensile strength.

LMJP was first used by New York-based Start-up Vader Systems, prior to the company being acquired by Xerox in 2019.

Xerox foresees the deployment of the ElemX beginning in defense, aerospace, heavy equipment, and oil and gas, due to these industries’ complex supply chains and essential nature.

Currently, ElemX has seen its first deployment at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterrey, Calif., where it will be used in military research efforts.

“From the age of sail to the nuclear era, sailors have been fixing things at sea so they can complete the mission,” said NPS President Ann Rondeau. “This partnership is about the strategic ability of the navy to have sailors on ships with the capability—through creativity and technology—to advance their operations at sea.”

While NPS envisions ElemX being deployed in a back-up capacity for spare parts and batches of one, Xerox’s long-term goal is for the ElemX to be used in mass production.

US Navy tests a large liquid-metal 3D printer on a ship

Earlier this month, a Navy ship called the USS Essex received an enormous printer. The printer and the large gray box it is housed in—together weighing some 15,000 pounds—were hoisted onto the ship, via crane, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The printer doesn’t print in ink. It prints using hot liquid metal, making it a small aluminum fabrication facility in a box. 

The idea behind putting the device on the ship is for the Navy to have a way to fabricate metal parts it might need at sea. Here’s how it works.

It reaches a temp of 1,562 degrees

The printer, called the ElemX, is made by Xerox. It measures 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall, and will remain in its roughly 20-foot-long conex storage box while deployed on the Essex. It weighs about 4,630 pounds alone, and needs a power supply of 480 volts. 

The material it prints with is aluminum, and it consumes aluminum wire as the raw material. 

“The wire gets fed into the heated print head. The print head gets to 850 Celsius [1,564 Fahrenheit], which essentially melts the wire, so you get this liquid pool of metal,” says Tali Rosman, the head of Elem Additive at Xerox. “And then we activate pulses on the print head, and eject [metal], drop by drop, to build the part.” 

[Related: An exclusive look inside where nuclear subs are born]

The pulses that expel the liquid metal are magnetic. The print head doesn’t move, but a plate beneath it does, allowing a custom part to take shape. “You can get the part in your hands in less than a minute from when the print finishes,” she adds. After it finishes printing, the creation and the plate it is attached to must be dunked in some water, a process that separates the two items.  

The result, she says, is “a mini factory in a conex box.”

She notes that the printer is not simple enough for a sailor with no training to operate it. “We’re not there yet,” she says. The training program for operating the printer takes three days. In other words, it’s not as simple as loading a file for a wrench and hitting print. 

This wrench was printed at sea. Courtesy Xerox

A tale of two printers 

The printer currently on the Essex has a sibling: The same model machine has been installed at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, since December, 2020. “The Navy and NPS are printing the same parts at sea and on land,” Rosman says. After the ship docks, they’ll compare and contrast the parts made in the different environments to see if they differ. They will “make sure being at sea didn’t cause any significant variations or changes.”

So what could go wrong with printing parts using hot liquid metal on a 844-foot long Wasp-class ship that’s floating in the ocean? 

One variable on Rosman’s radar is vibrations from the ship, which might affect the printing process. The next concern is “the climate” the printer will experience while onboard, in terms of salty air or even saltwater—although the printer will remain protected within its large box and is inside the ship itself. “But in the interest of being fully transparent, since nobody’s done this before, we don’t know,” Rosman says. “There might be things that we haven’t thought about, that as this printer is now at sea, and printing parts, there might be things none of us had put on our risk checklist.” 

[Related: This huge Xerox printer can create metal parts for the US Navy]

The type of objects that want to fabricate using this printer are pretty straightforward. The idea is to be able to create items that might come in handy at sea when a stop at a hardware store would be logistically inconvenient. “They want to make relatively simple parts that break on a ship often,” says Rosman. 

Printers that can create three-dimensional objects can lead to “greater self-sufficiency for Navy ships,” notes Commander Arlo Abrahamson, a Naval spokesperson, via email. He says that the metal items that have been printed thus far on the Essex are “Common Valve Hand Wheels, Antenna Seal Band Brackets, Fire Hose Spanner Wrenches,” and more. 

Abrahamson also notes that a previous polymer-based 3D printer on the Essex produced non-metal parts, and created some 735 items during a deployment between 2018 and 2019. 

Take a look at a video showing how a metal item is made, below:

Metal 3D Printing - The Essential Guide

There is no hotter trend in 3D printing today than metal. We will talk about metal printing at home, how it is done on an industrial scale, about technologies, applications, printers, processes, prices and materials.

Metal 3D printing has grown in popularity over the past few years. And this is quite natural: each material offers a unique combination of practical and aesthetic qualities, can be suitable for a wide range of products, prototypes, miniatures, decorations, functional details and even kitchen utensils. nine0003

The reason metal 3D printing has become so popular is because the printed objects can be mass-produced. In fact, some of the printed parts are just as good (if not better) than those made with traditional methods.

In traditional production, working with plastic and metal can be quite wasteful - there is a lot of waste, a lot of excess material is used. When an aircraft manufacturer makes metal parts, up to 90% of the material is simply cut off. 3D printed metal parts require less energy and waste is reduced to a minimum. It is also important that the final 3D printed product is up to 60% lighter than a traditional part. Billions of dollars could be saved in the aviation industry alone—mainly through weight savings and fuel savings.

So, what do we need to know about metal 3D printing?

Metal 3D printing at home

If you want to make objects at home that will look like metal, your best bet is to look at metalized PLA filaments (Photo: colorFabb)

Where to start if you want to print metal objects at home ? Given the extreme heat required for true metal 3D printing, a conventional FDM 3D printer will not be able to do this.

It is unlikely that in this decade it will be possible to print with liquid metal at home. Until 2020, you probably will not have a printer specialized for this purpose at home. But in a few years, as nanotechnology advances, we may see significant developments in new applications. This can be 3D printed with conductive silver, which will emit in much the same way as it does in 2D home printers. It will even be possible to mix different materials like plastic and metal in one object. nine0003

Materials for metal 3D printing at home

Even though you can't print actual metal objects at home, you can turn to plastic filament that has metal powders added to it. ColorFabb, ProtoPasta and TreeD Filaments all offer interesting metal-PLA composite filaments. These filaments, containing a significant percentage of metal powders, remain pliable enough to be printed at low temperatures (200 to 300 Celsius) on virtually any 3D printer. At the same time, they contain enough metal to make the final object look, feel, and even weigh like metal. Iron-based filaments even rust under certain conditions. nine0003

But you can go further. Typically, up to 50 percent metal powder is added to 3D printing filament. Dutch company Formfutura says they have achieved 85 percent metal powder with 15 percent PLA. These filaments are called MetalFil Ancient Bronze and Metalfil Classic Copper. They can be printed even at "moderate" temperatures from 190 to 200 degrees Celsius.

Metallic 3D Printing Filament Spools, in this case from SteelFill and CopperFill colorFabb (Steel and Bronze), Ancient Bronze (Ancient Bronze) from Formfutura

Here are the key points about metal printing at home

  • Gets a unique metal surface and look
  • Ideal for jewelry, figurines, housewares, replicas
  • Durability
  • Objects are not flexible (structure dependent)
  • Objects do not dissolve
  • Not considered food safe
  • Typical print temperature: 195 - 220°C
  • Extremely low shrinkage on cooling
  • No table heating required
  • Printing complexity is high, requires fine tuning of nozzle temperature, feed rate, post-processing

Preparing Your Home Printer for Metal 3D Printing

Since getting metal 3D prints is more difficult than usual, you may need to upgrade your 3D printer nozzle, especially if you are an entry-level printer. The metal filament wears it out quickly. There are hard-wearing hot-ends (like the E3D V6) that are themselves made of metal. They can withstand high temperatures and fit most printers. Be prepared for the fact that the nozzles will have to be changed frequently, because the metal filament is very abrasive. nine0003

You will also need to take care of the final finishing of the surface (cleaning, grinding, oiling, waxing or priming) so that the printed metal object shines as it should.

How much does metal filament for 3D printing cost?

And what about metal filament for 3D printing? - you ask. Here are a few examples:

  • ColorFabb's 750 gram Bronzefill spool is $56.36
  • ColorFabb 750g Copperfill Coil $56.36
  • Protopasta's Polishable Stainless Steel PLA Composite is $56 for 56 grams of
  • Protopasta's Rustable Magnetic Iron PLA Composite is $34.99 for 500 grams of

Industrial metal 3D printing

But what if you want a better result or even full metal 3D printing? Should a real "metal" 3D printer be purchased for business needs? We wouldn't recommend it - unless you're going to be doing it every day. A professional metal 3D printer is expensive: EOS or Stratasys devices will cost you 100-500 thousand dollars. In addition, the costs will be even greater, since you will have to hire an operator, a worker to maintain the machine, as well as to finalize the printouts (polishing, for example). Just a note: In 2016, an affordable metal 3D printer didn't exist. nine0003

Lowering Metal 3D Printing Costs

If you are not going to start a metal 3D printing business, but still need a professionally 3D printed metal part, it is best to contact the appropriate company that provides such services. 3D printing services like Shapeways, Sculpteo and iMaterialise offer direct metal printing.

They currently work with the following metal materials in 3D printing:

  • aluminum
  • steel
  • brass
  • copper
  • bronze
  • sterling silver
  • gold
  • platinum
  • titanium

If you are a jeweler, you can also order wax models for casting in precious metals.

If we talk about wax models, then in most cases they (with subsequent melting) are used when printing with metals (including gold and silver). Not all orders are carried out directly by these firms. They usually turn to other metal 3D printing companies to complete the order. However, the number of such services around the world is growing rapidly. In addition, metal 3D printing techniques are becoming more and more common in companies that offer such services. nine0003

The reason big companies love 3D printing so much is that it can be used to build fully automated lines that produce "topologically optimized" parts. This means that it is possible to fine-tune the raw materials and make the components thicker only if they must withstand heavy loads. In general, the mass of parts is significantly reduced, while their structural integrity is preserved. And this is not the only advantage of this technology. In some cases, the product turns out to be significantly cheaper and affordable for almost everyone. nine0003

Please note that metal 3D printing requires special CAD programs for modeling. It is worth paying attention to the recommendations of Shapeways - 3D printing metal guidelines. To delve further into the topic, check out Statasys’ information on related 3D printers and the nuances of metal 3D printing.

Here are some examples of Benchy test model prices for metal 3D printing:

  • Metal plastic: $22.44 (former alumide, PLA with aluminium)
  • Stainless steel: $83.75 (plated, polished)
  • Bronze: $299.91 (solid, polished)
  • Silver: $713.47 (solid, mirror polished)
  • Gold: $87.75 (gold plated, polished)
  • Gold: $12,540 (solid, 18K gold)
  • Platinum: $27,314 (solid, polished)

As you might expect, solid metal 3D printing prices are quite high.

Metal 3D printing. Applications

GE LEAP aircraft engine parts 3D printed at Avio Aero (Photo: GE)

There are several industries already using 3D printers to make everyday objects - you may not even know that these objects are printed. nine0003

  • The most common case is surgical and dental implants, which are considered the best option for patients today. Reason: they can be tailored to individual needs.
  • Another industry is jewelry. Here, most manufacturers have abandoned resin 3D printing and wax casting, switching directly to metal 3D printing.
  • In addition, the aerospace industry is becoming more and more dependent on 3D printed metal objects. The Italian company Ge-AvioAero was the first to do all-metal 3D printing. It manufactures components for LEAP aircraft engines. nine0051
  • Another industry targeting metal 3D printing is the automotive industry. BMW, Audi, FCA are seriously considering this technology, not only for prototyping (3D printing has been used for this for quite some time), but also for making real parts.

Before metal 3D printing really takes off, however, there are some hurdles to overcome. And first of all, this is a high price, which cannot be made lower than during molding. Another problem is the low production speed. nine0003

Metal 3D printing.

Technologies

Most metal 3D printing processes start with an “atomized” powder

You can talk a lot about “metal” 3D printers, but their main problems remain the same as any other 3D – printers: software and hardware limitations, material optimization and multimateriality. We won't talk too much about the software, we'll just say that most of the major specialized software companies, such as Autodesk, SolidWorks and solidThinking, try to emphasize as much as possible the fact that as a result of the 3D metal printing process, you can get any shape you want. nine0003

In general, printed metal parts can be as strong as parts made by traditional processes. Parts made using DMLS technology have mechanical properties equivalent to casting. In addition, the porosity of objects made on a good "metal" 3D printer can reach 99.5%. In fact, manufacturer Stratasys claims that 3D printed metal parts perform above industry standards when tested for density. nine0003

3D printed metal can have different resolutions. At the highest resolution, layer thickness is 0.0008 - 0.0012" and X/Y resolution is 0.012 - 0.016". The minimum hole diameter is 0.035 - 0.045". formed layer)

The metal 3D printing process used by most relevant large companies today is called Powder Bed Fusion. This name indicates that some source of energy (a laser or other energy beam) melts an "atomized" powder (i.e., a metal powder that is carefully ground into spherical particles), resulting in layers of a printed object.

There are eight major manufacturers of metal 3D printers in the world that already use this technology; while we are talking here, there are more and more such companies. Most of them are in Germany. Their technologies are called SLM (Selective Laser Melting - selective laser fusion) or DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering - direct metal laser sintering). nine0003

Metal 3D-printing process No. 2:


Binder Jetting (spraying the binder)

under 3DP technology EXONE Metal objects are printed due : ExOne)

Another professional approach that also uses a powder base is called Binder Jetting. In this case, the layers are formed by gluing metal particles together and then sintering (or fusing) them in a high-temperature furnace, just like it is done with ceramics. nine0003

Another option, which is similar to working with ceramics, is mixing metal powder into metal paste. A pneumatically extruded 3D printer (similar to a syringe bioprinter or an inexpensive food printer) forms 3D objects. When the required shape is reached, the object is sent to the furnace, i.e. in the mountains

This approach is used in the Mini Metal Maker, apparently the only inexpensive "metal" 3D printer.

Metal 3D printing process #3: 9Metal Deposition This is not entirely true. Of course, on some desktop device, simply fusing metal threads onto the base will not work. However, very large steel companies can do it. And they do. There are two options for working with "metal surfacing". nine0003

One is called DED (Directed Energy Deposition) or Laser Cladding. Here, a laser beam is used to melt the metal powder, which is slowly released and solidifies as a layer, and the powder is fed using a robotic arm.

Normally the whole process takes place in a closed chamber, but the MX3D project used conventional 3D printing techniques to build a full-size bridge. Another option for metal fusion is called EBAM (Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing - additive electron beam technology), which is essentially soldering, in which a very powerful electron beam is used to melt 3 mm titanium wire, and the molten metal forms very large finished structures. As for this technology, its details are known so far only to the military. nine0003

Metallic 3D printing. Metals

3D Printing Metal #1: Titanium

Pure titanium (Ti64 or TiAl4V) is one of the most commonly used metals for 3D printing and is definitely one of the most versatile, strong and lightweight. Titanium is used both in the melting process in a preformed layer and in the process of spraying a binder and is used mainly in the medical industry (for the manufacture of personal prostheses), as well as in the aerospace industry, automotive and machine tools (for the manufacture of parts and prototypes). But there is one problem. Titanium is very reactive and explodes easily in powder form. Therefore, it is necessary that titanium 3D printing takes place in a vacuum or in an argon environment. nine0003

3D printing metal #2: Stainless steel

Stainless steel is one of the cheapest 3D printing metals. At the same time, it is very durable and can be used in a wide range of manufacturing and even artistic and design applications. The type of steel alloy used also contains cobalt and nickel, is very difficult to break, and has a very high elasticity. Stainless steel is used almost exclusively in industry. nine0003

3D Printing Metal #3: Inconel

Inconel is a superalloy manufactured by Special Metals Corporation and is a registered trademark. The alloy consists mainly of nickel and chromium and is very heat resistant. Therefore, it is used in the oil, chemical and aerospace (for black boxes) industries.

3D Printing Metal #4: Aluminum

Due to its lightness and versatility, aluminum is very popular in 3D printing. Aluminum alloys are commonly used. nine0003

3D Printing Metal #5: Cobalt Chrome

gap). It is most commonly used in the manufacture of turbines, dental and orthopedic implants, where 3D printing has become the dominant technology.

3D printing metal #5. Copper and bronze

With some exceptions, copper and bronze are used in wax melting processes, rarely in layer melting. The fact is that these metals are not very suitable for industry, they are more often used in the manufacture of works of art and crafts. ColorFabb offers both metals as the basis for a special metal filament.

3D printing metal #6. Iron

Iron, incl. magnetic, also mainly used as an additive to PLA-based filaments, which are produced, for example, by ProtoPasta and TreeD. nine0003

3D printing metal #7. Gold, Silver, and Other Precious Metals

Most preformed layer companies can 3D print precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. Here, along with the preservation of the aesthetic properties of materials, it is important to achieve optimization of work with expensive starting powder. Precious metal 3D printing is required for jewelry, medical applications and electronics. nine0003

Metallic 3D printing. Printers

Do not hesitate - the purchase of a metal 3D printer will not pass without a trace on your budget. It will cost at least 100-250 thousand dollars. Here is a list of a variety of "metal" printers, some of which can be found in firms providing 3D printing services.

Metal 3D Printer #1:


Sciaky EBAM 300 - Metal Filament Printing

If you need to print really large metal structures, Sciaky's EBAM technology is your best bet. By order, the device can be built in almost any size. This technique is used mainly in the aerospace industry and the military.

Sciaky's largest production printer is the EBAM 300. It prints objects in a volume of 5791 x 1219 x 1219 mm.

The company claims the EBAM 300 is also one of the fastest industrial 3D printers on the market. A three-meter-sized titanium part for an aircraft is printed on it in 48 hours, while the material consumption is about 7 kg per hour. In general, forged parts that usually take 6-12 months to complete can be made in 2 days with this 3D printer. nine0003

The metal layers are first cut and then ultrasonically welded. The largest Fabrisonic 7200 printer operates in a volume of 2 x 2 x 1.5 m. The metal powder 3D printer is the Concept Laser XLine 1000. It has a modeling volume of 630 x 400 x 500 mm and is the size of a house. nine0003

Its German company, one of the main suppliers of 3D printers for aerospace giants like Airbus, recently introduced a new machine, the Xline 2000.

This machine uses two lasers and has a working volume of 800 x 400 x 500 mm. Uses LaserCUSING laser technology (a variant of selective laser fusion) from Concept Laser, which allows you to print alloys of steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, precious metals and even some pure substances (titanium and stainless steel). nine0003

Metallic 3D printing. Services

There are more than 100 companies worldwide offering metal 3D printing services. We list the most popular services for consumer needs.

Metal 3D Printing Service #1: Shapeways

The world's most popular 3D printing service, Shapeways offers two types of services. As a consumer, you can choose from a wide range of professionally designed objects, customize them, and then have them printed to your specifications. Like other 3D printing services, Shapeways offers a platform for designers to sell and print their work. Shapeways is also a good place for rapid prototyping: customers benefit from industrial-grade printers (EOS, 3D Systems) and personal technical support. nine0003

3D printing metals: aluminium, brass, bronze, gold, platinum, precious metal plating, silver, steel. There are also wax molds for jewelry purposes.

Metal 3D Printing Service #2: Sculpteo

Like Shapeways and i.materialise, Sculpteo is an online 3D printing service that allows anyone to upload 3D models and send them to fabrication in a wide range of materials . Like its competitors, Sculpteo provides a platform for hobbyists and professionals to showcase and sell their designs. The stable of Sculpteo printers includes highly professional machines from 3D Systems, EOS, Stratasys and ZCorp. Extensive technical documentation will help identify design flaws and select the right material for the project. nine0003

Metals for 3D printing: alumide (plastic with aluminum particles), brass, silver.

Metal 3D Printing Service #3: iMaterialise

Materialise is a company that works with industrial customers to prototyp 3D printed products. For casual users and designers, Materialize offers an online 3D printing service called i.materialise. As with Shapeways, this service allows anyone to upload their 3D designs and print them out. Once an object has been uploaded and successfully printed, a designer can list it for sale either in the gallery of the i.materalise online store or by embedding some code into their site. nine0003

3D printing metals: alumide (plastic with aluminum powder), brass, bronze, copper, gold, silver, steel, titanium.

Metal 3D Printing Service #4: 3D Hubs

Through 3D Hubs, you can search for individuals and companies that offer 3D printing services in your area, upload STL files (which are immediately evaluated for defects ) and contact service providers directly to get the job done. The online 3D printing service also allows you to sort offers by materials, customer rating, distance and many other parameters. Whatever object you wish to print, there is likely to be someone nearby who can print it. A significant number of materials can be printed in industrial quality, such materials have an HD mark in the search field. nine0003

3D printing metals: aluminium, bronze, cobalt-chromium, stainless steel, titanium.

Precise 3D metal printing on order in Sprint 3D

Metal 3D printing - additive manufacturing of metal products, which is rightfully one of the most promising and rapidly developing areas in 3D printing as such. The technology itself originates from the conventional sintering of materials used in powder metallurgy. But now it has become more perfect, accurate and fast. And today SPRINT3D offers you metal printing on 3 D printer on really favorable terms. But first, a little information about the production process itself and its capabilities.

Selective Laser Fusion Technology

SLM or Selective Fusion Technology is a type of direct metal printing that achieves a density of 99.5%. The difference is especially noticeable when compared with models obtained by conventional casting. This indicator is achieved due to the introduction of the latest technologies in the hardware part:

  • The use of special rollers for compacting powders and, as a result, the possibility of using powders with a particle size of 5 µm.
  • Bulk density increase to help compact end products.
  • Creates a rarefied atmosphere of inert gases, which ensures maximum purity of the material, no oxidation, and eliminates the risk of introducing third-party chemicals into the composition.

But most importantly, the modern 3 D metal printer makes it easy to customize the configuration for printing with a specific metal powder. Thus, even with inexpensive material, you can get a first-class result. But only if you use high-quality modern equipment. And here we are ready to surprise you too!

Metal 3D printing B SPRINT 3D

3D printing with own 3D printers

The largest working area is 280x280x350 mm

layer thickness up to 15 microns

3D with various types of metals

Delivery throughout Russia and CIS countries

Installations for 3 9000 which we use

Production quality is a key requirement that we set ourselves. Therefore, in our work we use only professional equipment with wide possibilities for metal printing. Let's take a closer look at each of the production units. nine0003

Production unit SLM 280HL

SLM 280HL is a development of the German company SLM Solutions GmbH, which uses the technology of layer-by-layer laser melting of powder metal materials. The installation is equipped with a large working chamber and allows you to create 3D objects with dimensions of 280x280x350 mm. Among the main advantages of printing with this installation are:

  • Small minimum thickness of the applied layer - 20 microns.
  • Filling the working chamber with inert gas, which allows you to work with various reactive metals.
  • Print speed up to 35 cm/hour.
  • Building layer thickness – 30 and 50 µm.
  • Power - 400 W.

A special highlight is the patented powder feed system, which delivers significantly faster print speeds than most production machines in the same price range. We use the following materials in production:

  • Stainless steel (domestic 07X18H12M2 (Polema), 12X18H10T and imported 316L).
  • Tool steel (imported 1.2709).
  • Heat-resistant alloys 08KhN53BMTYu (similar to Inconel 718, produced by Polem) and EP 741 (produced by VILS).
  • Cobalt Chrome (COCR)

The SLM 280HL 3D printer can be used to create all kinds of metal components, prototypes and end products. If necessary, we can provide small-scale production. nine0003

ProX 100 production unit

ProX 100 is a compact 3 D metal printing unit developed by the American company 3D Systems. It uses direct laser sintering technology, which ensures high speed and precision of production. Among the main characteristics, it is worth highlighting:

  • The size of the working chamber is 100x100x80 mm.
  • Building layer thickness – 20 and 30 µm. nine0051
  • Power - 50 W.

ProX 100 allows you to create prototypes that cannot be developed by standard methods, provides short lead times, guarantees the absence of material porosity and high part density. In addition, we note the standardized quality of all products, regardless of their structure. At the moment, the model is actively used in dentistry when creating high-precision prostheses, but it has found wide application in other industries:

  • Manufacture of engines and their individual parts.
  • Development of medical equipment.
  • Printing jewelry and even contemporary art.

In printing we use the cobalt-chromium alloy KX28M6 (manufactured by Polem), originally developed for additive technologies when creating endoprostheses.

Metal 3D printing - current application

Many experts argue that 3D printing as such has not yet fully revealed its potential. For example, Elon Musk plans to use technology in the colonization of Mars to build administrative and residential buildings, equipment and technology right on the spot. And this is quite real, because already now the technology of three-dimensional metal printing is actively used in various industries: The high precision of production and relatively affordable price have made 3D printing very relevant in this industry. nine0051

  • In the jewelry industry: many of the jewelry companies use 3D printing technology to make molds and stencils, as well as directly create jewelry products.

    Learn more