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Can 3d printer make metal objects


Can 3D Printing Use Metal? (Everything You Need To Know)

Yes, it is possible to 3D print items from metal. There are several manufacturing processes which fall under the heading of metal additive manufacturing, but this article concentrates on those which use layers of metal powder to build up and form complex structures that may be difficult to create with other techniques.

The metal 3D printing process involves sintering or melting metal powders directly, or combining them with a second material to allow delivery through a nozzle. It is used for both rapid prototyping and finished production parts for aerospace, mechanical engineering, tooling and more. 

Contents

Click the links below to skip to the section in the guide:

  • What metals can be used in 3d printing?
  • What metals cannot be 3d printed?
  • What processes can be used to 3D print metals?
  • Other techniques
  • Advantages and disadvantages
  • What is the purpose of 3D metal printing?
  • Is it expensive?
  • Conclusion

A wide range of different metals can be used in powder form to manufacture parts through 3D printing. Titanium, steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, cobalt chrome, titanium, tungsten and nickel-based alloys are all available in powdered form for 3D printing, as are precious metals like gold, platinum, palladium and silver.

These different metals offer various properties, making them suitable for a range of applications. For example, stainless steel provides excellent corrosion resistance, making it ideal for printing pipes, valves and steam turbine parts.

Theoretically, any metal can be used for 3D printing if it is available as a suitable powder. However, materials that burn rather than melt at high temperatures cannot be processed safely by sintering or melting, but can be used when extruded through a nozzle for 3D printing. Wood, cloth and paper cannot be 3D printed using these processes.

It is also possible to use sintering (forming inside a mould at high temperature and extremely high pressure) to create solid items from metal powders and, in the case of those metals with very high melting points, sintering is the only reliable method to manufacture items from these materials.

As hinted above, there are several technologies for 3D printing metals. Powder bed fusion techniques, which include Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), SLM (Selective Laser Melting) and EBM (Electron Beam Melting), are the more widely used techniques for metal additive manufacturing:

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)

This commonly used method uses a laser to sinter metal powder layer-by-layer to form an object. The process does not actually melt the metal and is used for prototyping and manufacturing finished parts including medical devices and instruments.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

This process involves using a laser to melt the material where required within a layer of powder in an inert gas environment. This proceeds layer by layer for creating objects with similar parameters to those produced with casting. SLM is often used to manufacture parts from aluminium and titanium, including those for the medical, automotive and aerospace industries.

Electron Beam Melting (EBM)

This process is similar to SLM, except an electron beam is used to melt the material rather than a laser. EBM is perceived as being faster and more precise than SLM and is often used to manufacture items from cobalt and titanium. EBM is widely used by the aerospace industry for items including engine components.

There are other techniques that can or have been used for 3D printing metals, although these are not as widely used as DMLS, SLM or EBM:

Laser Metal Deposition (LMD)

LMD is used in the aerospace, automotive and medical industries, creating objects by depositing heated metal on a metallic substrate layer-by-layer. LMD allows different materials to be used to build an object and is faster than other methods

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Similar to DMLS, this process also uses a laser to sinter powdered materials. It has been used to manufacture items from a wide range of materials, including metal. However, these days it is mostly used for sintering plastics, such as polyamide and nylon

Binder Jetting

This process uses a special liquid to bind the powder material and is less expensive than DMLS, SLM or EBM. The accuracy and strength afforded by this process are not perfect and post-processing is often required. Hot isostatic pressing can be used to improve the strength and solidity of the finished object, but this increases the costs. Binder jetting is typically used for the manufacture of large scale and complex prototypes

Metal Injection Moulding

This combination of injection moulding and 3D printing is widely used for making small components in industries including medical and defence. The process works by mixing metal powder with thermoplastic and wax binders. This mix is heated until the binder melts and covers the powder, which is then granulated into pellets. These pellets are heated and injected into a cavity to form the object before the binder material is removed, usually via solvent extraction.  The part is then sintered, evaporating any remaining binder and compressing the object into a dense solid. The object can then be finished as required.

There are a number of benefits and drawbacks associated with 3D metal printing, as follows:

Advantages

  1. Easy to manufacture items with complex shapes faster than traditional manufacturing methods
  2. Cheaper than many conventional manufacturing methods for some parts
  3. Capable of producing precise and highly detailed objects
  4. Because details can be included at time of assembly, it can save time and money compared to more traditional methods of manufacture
  5. Complicated forms can be created to create lighter objects without sacrificing strength, making 3D metal printing ideal for automotive, aerospace and space applications
  6. Very little material wastage
  7. Multiple parts of a complicated assembly can be combined into a single component, reducing part count and assembly costs

Disadvantages

  1. Slow to produce parts designed for traditional manufacturing, making high volume production uncompetitive on cost alone
  2. Powdered metal materials are more expensive than non-powdered metals (e. g. billet or bar)
  3. Metal 3D printers can be expensive
  4. Surface finishing and post-processing of 3D printed parts may be required
  5. Offers lower precision and tolerance than specialised CNC machining
  6. Heat treatment may be needed to reduce inner stresses in a 3D printed item, or achieve maximum strength in the metal
  7. Design of 3D metal parts can be complex and require the services of professional CAD engineers
  8. The size of parts is limited by the build volume of the 3D printer

The advantages and disadvantages of the process provide an insight into the purpose of 3D printing in metal, showing that it is well suited to manufacturing relatively small, complex parts, including prototypes. It can also facilitate tooling for conventional manufacturing technologies, lowering costs and reducing lead times. 

By combining the flexibility of 3D printing with the mechanical properties of metal, this technology has found uses across industry, from inserts with cooling channels through lightweight structures for the aerospace industry, to complex parts to be used in highly demanding environments.   Typical uses include fully functional prototyping, creating production tools, tooling for moulds or inserts, housings, ductwork, heat exchangers and heatsinks. 

Of course, different metals lend themselves to the printing of different objects, for example:

  • Stainless Steel: Perfect for objects that will come into contact with corrosive liquids, water or steam, due to the superb corrosion resistance
  • Bronze: Pump impellors and marine propellers, fixtures and more decorative items, such as vases
  • Gold: Can be used to print jewellery
  • Nickel: Can be used to print turbine engine parts or even coins
  • Aluminum: Ideal for metal objects, especially where lightweighting is required, such as with airframe parts
  • Titanium: Capable of producing very strong, accurate parts such as medical implants (e.g. hip joints) and other solid fixtures and objects

Different 3D printing techniques use different solutions for industry with different materials and complexity, meaning that the cost of 3D printing in metal can vary substantially. However, most of the cost comes from the 3D printing machines, which can be a large proportion of overall costs for a production run, alongside labour, materials, preparation and post-processing. The requirement for high-quality powdered materials also adds to the cost of 3D metal printing as they are more expensive than non-powdered metals in the same quantities. 

As mentioned, printer prices can be high, with costs of several or even hundreds of thousands of pounds, although these prices are comparable to a high quality CNC machine tool of a similar size. As technology and the market size improves, it is expected that the price of 3D printing machines will decrease. 

As well as the cost of materials and the printer, there are design costs for the objects to be created. This can involve the need to buy specialist software or hire the services of CAD engineers with specialist knowledge of 3D printing. There are, of course, other labour costs for the operation and maintenance of the machines.  

Finally, there are costs associated with post processing of printed parts. This can include cleaning, heat treatment, the removal of support structures and applying coatings to the surface.

3D printing with metal, or additive manufacturing, allows for parts to be made with almost the same strength as regular metal objects. 

While it can be expensive and is not well-suited to replacing conventional manufacturing for high volume production of standard items, it is ideal for making smaller, complex items. 3D printing with metals also assists with lightweighting for parts used in industries including aerospace and automotive.

Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

New filament means you can print metal on any 3D printer

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You might want to sit down, because this one is exciting. The Virtual Foundry has just launched Filamet™, a new metal infused filament that makes any FDM 3D Printer, a 3D Metal Printer!

Yes, really…

We just got used to the fact that only high-end printers could manage metal and most mortal makers would have to make do with simple plastics. That just changed, you can now print Copper and Bronze on any 3d Printer.

This new filament from the Wisconsin-based company could literally be a game changer, disrupting the current course of 3D Printed Metal. They’ve launched with copper and bronze, but you can expect to see more metals in the near future.

 

More than just metal.

The Virtual Foundry’s patented process works not only with metal,but they will follow up with 3d printable Glass and Ceramic products over the next 6 months. So maybe you don’t have to upgrade your 3D printer after all and even the most basic desktop unit could become a complete manufacturing facility thanks to this quantum leap in material science.

How does it work? It’s basically a highly infused plastic, just enough plastic to get it through your current printer. Currently this is a mere 11.5%, an amount considered below the theoretical limit only a year ago. The 88.5% of mass that remains is high purity metal powder. The prints can then be simply polished, or more interestingly be post-processed to remove the small amount of plastic. The resulting product is 99+% pure metal, which is as close to pure as many of us will ever need. The Virtual Foundry says they continue to improve the process and expect future versions to be closer to only 8% plastic.

Another great Kickstarter success story?

This project surfaced on Kickstarter last year, where it raised 135% of the target funding. The Virtual Foundry, though, has been on a mission to bring metal production to our desktops since before 3D printing was even an option. It worked with cold-casting and electro forming in the old days, but now technology has caught up and 3D printing looks to have given them the answer.

We haven’t got our hands on the finished product just yet. But the big launch at the Hubble Auditorium at Lockheed-Martin suggests that the team has really cracked the code.

“Printer manufacturers have struggled for years to bring metal printing down into the price range of the average individual or small business,” said Bradley Woods, the man behind this technical breakthrough. “Filamet™ takes the opposite strategy. Rather than bring the high-end down, it simply expands the capabilities of current 3D printers.”

“We expect materials to account for a large portion of near-term product innovation in the 3D printing market. Our company offers an immediate solution to producing real and useful metal prints on the desktop 3D printer that you already own.”

Professionalise your home printer

This filament could turn your desktop printer into a rival for the serious commercial machines and could even prove to be better. That’s because metal printers are notoriously slow and a large printer can actually take 48 hours to produce a single print.

So while the end result might be spectacular, it simply might not suit your workflow even if you could afford to have one in your home workshop.

Consumer printers are designed with the average user in mind, so they offer a realistic compromise of price, resolution and speed. With the addition of this metallic filament, then your home 3D printer could become a real manufacturing weapon. We can suddenly make copper and bronze statues and parts without access to a kiln and that could be a maker’s revolution on its own.

Prints can take less than five hours with a consumer printer and this new material is even big news for big business.

Companies are into this too

The technology has attracted big names like Calvin Klein and a company that wants to license the technology to fabricate consumable parts for its facility that 3D prints Uranium fuel cells for nuclear reactors. The technology works with any 3D printer,which means that even commercial companies with several printer scan now opt to use their simpler units for faster, cheaper production.

This opens up so many new avenues and the science itself could be a launchpad for other companies to create their own innovations. We’ve often said that the biggest step forward will come from the materials, but even we didn’t see a company turning today’s printers into complete metal, glass and ceramic production facilities.
We can’t wait to see the products in action and to test this filament for ourselves. If it turns out to be half as good as the claims then it has the capacity to change everything.

http://www.theVirtualFoundry.com  & [email protected]

More images at http://www.thevirtualfoundry.com/showcase/

Tags fdmfff Filamet metallic

Nick Hall

Nick is a freelance journalist who has covered the cut and thrust of Formula One and the technical side of the supercar industry for the likes of The Sunday Times, Automobile and Penthouse on these shores, Tatler and The National in Dubai. After finally driving an F1 car there was nowhere left to go, so now he is here!

technologies, equipment, materials and new opportunities

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. Over the past few years, 3D metal printing has been actively gaining popularity. 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. 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 by 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?

3D printing with metal 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.

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. Bestfilament, ColorFabb, ProtoPasta and TreeD Filaments 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.

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.

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

Here are the key points about metal printing at home

  • Get a unique metal surface and look
  • Ideal for jewelry, figurines, household utensils, replicas
  • Durability
  • Objects are not flexible (structural dependent)
  • Objects do not dissolve
  • Not considered food safe
  • Typical print temperature: 195 - 220°C
  • Extremely low shrinkage on cooling
  • Table heating not 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.

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 is metal filament for 3D printing?

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

  • A 500-gram BFSteel and BFBronse coil from Bestfilament costs 1600–1800 ₽
  • ColorFabb's 750 gram Bronzefill spool is $56.36
  • ColorFabb's 750 gram Copperfill spool is $56.36
  • Protopasta's Polishable Stainless Steel PLA Composite is $56 for 56 grams
  • Protopasta's Rustable Magnetic Iron PLA Composite is $34.99 for 500 grams

Industrial Metal 3D Printing

But what if you want better results 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.

Reducing Metal 3D Printing Costs

If you are not going to open a metal 3D printing business, but still need a professionally 3D printed metal part, it is better 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 it is they (with subsequent melting) that 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.

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.

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 aluminum)
  • 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 that already use 3D printers to make everyday objects - you may not even know that these objects are printed.

  • The most common case is surgical and dental implants, which in this design are now considered the best option for patients. 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.
  • 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.

3D metal 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.

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.

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″. Let's, however, consider what metal 3D printing technologies are.

Metal 3D Printing Process #1:

Powder Bed Fusion

The metal 3D printing process that most relevant large companies use 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).

Metal 3D printing process #2:

Binder Jetting

ExOne 3DP prints metal objects by binding the powder before firing it in a forge (photo: 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.

Another option, which is also 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:

Metal Deposition

It may seem that the only 3D printing process that is left out of working with metals is layer-by-layer 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".

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.

Usually the whole process takes place in a closed chamber, but in the MX3D project, conventional 3D printing techniques were used to build a full-sized 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.

Metal 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.

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.

3D Printing Metal #3: Inconel

Inconel is a superalloy manufactured by Special Metals Corporation, its 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.

3D Printing Metal #5: Cobalt-Chromium

This alloy has a very high specific strength (i.e. strength divided by density, which generally indicates the force required per unit area to break). It is most commonly used in the manufacture of turbines, dental and orthopedic implants, where 3D printing has become the dominant technology.

Metal for 3D printing №5. Copper and Bronze

With few 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.

Metal for 3D printing №6. Iron

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

Metal for 3D printing №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.

Metal 3D printing. Printers

Do not hesitate - the purchase of a metal 3D printer will not go unnoticed for 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. The largest of Sciaky's serial printers is the EBAM 300. It prints objects in a volume of 5791 × 1219 × 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.

Sciaky's unique technology uses a high energy electron beam that melts a 3mm titanium rod at a typical melting rate of 3 to 9 kg per hour.

Metal 3D Printer #2:

Fabrisonic UAM - Ultrasonic 3D Printing

Another way to print large metal parts is UAM (Ultrasound Additive Manufacturing Technology) from Fabrisonic. The devices of this company are three-axis CNC cutters, to which welding heads are added for the additivity of the process. 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.

#3 Metal 3D Printer:

Concept Laser XLine 1000 Metal Powder 3D Printing

modeling - 630 × 400 × 500 mm, and itself the size of a house.

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

This equipment uses two lasers and the working volume is 800 × 400 × 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).

Metal 3D printing. Services

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

#1 Metal 3D Printing Service: 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.

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 for 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.

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

Metal 3D Printing Service #3: iMaterialise

Materialise is a company that works with industrial clients to prototype 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 website.

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 businesses that offer 3D printing services in your area, upload STL files (which are immediately assessed for defects), and contact directly with service providers 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.

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

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Metal 3D Printing, Metal 3D Printing Process, Metal 3D Printing Industry, Metal 3D Printing Materials, Metal 3D Printer, Fasonic EBAM 300 , Concept Laser XLine 1000

3D printing with metals - technologies and printers / Habr

3D metal printing is becoming more and more popular. And this is not surprising: each metal print material offers a unique combination of practical and aesthetic properties in order to meet the requirements of various products, whether they are prototypes, miniatures, decorations, functional parts or even kitchen utensils.

The reasons for printing with metals are so strong that 3D printing with metals is already being introduced into mass production. In fact, some 3D printed parts have already caught up, and some have even surpassed those produced by traditional methods.

Traditional production from metals and plastics is very wasteful - in the aircraft industry, for example, up to 90% of materials go to waste. The output of products, in some industries, is no more than 30% of the material used.

Metal 3D printing uses less energy and reduces waste to a minimum. In addition, the finished 3D printed part can be up to 60% lighter than a milled or cast part. The aviation industry alone will save billions of dollars in fuel costs by reducing the weight of structures. But strength and lightness are needed in other industries. Yes, and economy too.

Metal 3D printing at home


What can you do if you want to try 3D metal printing at home? Metal printing requires extremely high temperatures, it is unlikely that you can use a regular FDM 3D printer for this, at least not yet. The situation may change in a few years, but now this is not available to home 3D equipment.

If you want to make metallic-looking printouts at home, the best option is to use plastic containing metal particles.

Such as Colorfabb Bronzefill or Bestfilament Bronze.

These filaments contain a significant percentage of metal powders, but also enough plastic to print at low temperatures with any 3D printer. At the same time, they contain enough metal to look, feel and have a weight close to that of a metal object.

Items made of iron-containing filament even rust under certain conditions, which adds credibility, but they cannot rust through and deteriorate from this - and this is their advantage over real metal objects.

Benefits of these materials:

  • Unique print look
  • Ideal for costume jewelry, figurines, homewares and decor
  • High strength
  • Very little shrinkage during cooling
  • Heated table optional

Cons:

  • Low product flexibility, depends on print design
  • Not considered safe in contact with food
  • Requires fine tuning of nozzle temperature and filament feed rate
  • Product post-processing required - grinding, polishing
  • Fast extruder nozzle wear - filament with metal is very abrasive compared to conventional materials

The general printing temperature range is typically 195°C - 220°C.

Metal 3D printing for industry


If you are looking to purchase a real metal 3D printer for enterprise use, then there are two pieces of news for you - good and bad.

The good news is that their range is quite wide and continues to expand - it will be possible to choose a device that meets any technical requirement. Further in the article you can see this.

The only bad news is prices. The cost of professional metal printing printers starts anywhere from $200,000 and goes up indefinitely. In addition, even if you choose and purchase the most inexpensive of them, the purchase of consumables, scheduled maintenance with the replacement of components, and repairs will be a separate blow. We do not forget about the staff and the costs of post-processing products. And at the stage of preparation for printing, you will need special software and people who can handle it.

If you are ready for all these expenses and difficulties - read on, we will present some very interesting samples.

https://youtu.be/20R9nItDmPY

Metal 3D printing application


Some industrial sectors already use metal 3D printers, they have become an integral part of the production process, which the average consumer may not be aware of:

The most common example is medical implants and dental crowns, bridges, prostheses, which are already considered the most patients. Reason: They can be 3D printed faster and cheaper and tailored to the individual needs of each patient.

The second, equally common example: jewelry. Most major manufacturers are gradually moving away from 3D printed molds and stencils to direct metal 3D printing, and titanium printing allows jewelers to create designs that were previously impossible.

In addition, the aerospace industry is becoming more and more dependent on 3D printed metal products. Ge-AvioAero in Italy is the world's first fully 3D printed factory that produces components for LEAP jet engines.

The next industry using metal 3D printers is the automotive industry. BMW, Audi, FCA are already seriously considering applying the technology to series production, not just prototyping, where they have been using 3D printing for years.

It would seem - why reinvent the wheel? But here, too, 3D metal printing has found application. For several years now, manufacturers of bicycle components and frames have been using 3D printing. Not only in the world, but also in Russia, this has become widespread. Exclusive bike manufacturer Triton is finishing up a project with a 3D printed titanium frame element that reduces weight without compromising strength.

But before metal 3D printing really takes over the world, there are a few major challenges that need to be overcome. First of all, it is the high cost and low speed of production of large series by this method.

Metal 3D Printing Technology


Much can be said about the use of metal-printing 3D printers. There are specifics, but the main issues are the same as with any other 3D printers: software and hardware limitations, material optimization and multi-material printing. We won't talk much about software, except to mention that major publishers such as Autodesk, SolidWorks, and SolidThinking all develop software products for use in metal 3D printing so that users can bring any shape imaginable to life.

Recently, there have been examples that 3D printed metal parts can be as strong as traditionally produced metal components, and in some cases even surpass them. Created using DMLS, the products have the same mechanical properties as those of solid cast counterparts.

Let's look at the available metal 3D printing technologies:

Process #1: Layer by layer powder fusion

The process of 3D printing metals that most major companies use these days is known as powder bed fusion or sintering. This means that a laser or other high-energy beam fuses particles of evenly distributed metal powder into a single whole, creating layers of the product, one after another.

There are eight major metal 3D printer manufacturers in the world, most of them located in Germany. Their technologies go under the acronym SLM (Selective Laser Melting) or DMLS (Direct Laser Metal Sintering).

Process #2: Binder Jetting

Another professional method with layer-by-layer bonding is gluing metal particles for subsequent firing in a high-temperature furnace, where the particles are fused under pressure, making up a single metal whole. The printhead applies the coupling solution to the powder substrate in layers, like a conventional printer on sheets of paper, after which the product is sent to firing.

Another similar but different technology based on FDM printing is mixing metal powder into metal paste. Using pneumatic extrusion, the 3D printer extrudes it, much like a 3D construction printer does with cement, to form 3D objects. After the desired shape is printed, the objects are also sintered in an oven. This technology is used by the Mini Metal Maker, perhaps the only more or less affordable metal 3D printer ($1600). Add the cost of a small kiln.

Process #3: Welding

You might think that among the metal printing technologies there is no similar to the usual FDM, however, this is not entirely true. You can't melt metal filament in the hot end of your 3D printer, but the big manufacturers have the technology and use it. There are two main ways to print with solid metal material.

One of them is called DED (Directed Energy Deposition), or laser cladding. It uses a laser beam to fuse metal powder that is slowly released and deposited from an extruder, forming layers of an object with an industrial arm.

This is usually done inside a closed chamber, however, with MX3D, we see the possibility of implementing a similar technology in the construction of a real full-size bridge, which is due to be printed in 2017 in Amsterdam.

The other is called EBM (Electron Beam Manufacturing), a technology for forming layers of metal raw materials under the influence of a powerful electron beam, with its help create large and very large structures. If you do not work in the defense complex of the Russian Federation or the United States, then you are unlikely to see this technology alive.

A couple of new, barely emerging technologies, used so far only by their creators, are presented below - in the section on printers.

Metals used


Ti - Titanium

Pure titanium (Ti64 or TiAl4V) is one of the most commonly used metals for 3D printing, and certainly one of the most versatile as it is both strong and lightweight. It is used both in the medical industry (in personalized prosthetics) and in the aerospace and automotive industries (for the manufacture of parts and prototypes), and in other areas. The only catch is that it is highly reactive, which means it can explode easily when in powder form, and should definitely only be used for printing in an inert Argon gas environment.

SS - Stainless steel

Stainless steel is one of the most affordable metals for 3D printing. At the same time, it is very durable and can be used in a wide range of industrial and artistic applications. This type of steel alloy containing cobalt and nickel has high elasticity and tensile strength. 3D printing of stainless steel is used mainly only in heavy industry.

Inconel

Inconel is a modern superalloy. It is manufactured by Special Metals Corporation and is a patented trademark. Consists, for the most part, of nickel and chromium, has high heat resistance. It is used in the oil, chemical and aerospace industries (for example: to create distribution nozzles, on-board “black boxes”).

Al

Due to its inherent lightness and versatility, aluminum is a very popular metal for 3D printing applications. It is usually used in the form of various alloys, forming their basis. Aluminum powder is explosive and is used in printing in an inert Argon gas environment.

CoCr - Cobalt Chrome

This metal alloy has a very high specific strength. It is used both in dentistry - for 3D printing of dental crowns, bridges and clasp prostheses, and in other areas.

Cu

With rare exceptions, copper and its alloys - bronze, brass - are used for casting using burnt patterns, and not for direct metal printing. This is because their properties are far from ideal for industrial 3D printing applications, they are more commonly used in arts and crafts. With great success, they are added to plastic filament - for 3D printing on conventional 3D printers.

Fe - Iron

Iron and magnetic iron ore are also mainly used as an additive to PLA filament. In large-scale industry, pure iron is rarely used, and we wrote about steel above.

Au, Ag — Gold, silver and other precious metals

Most powder fusing 3D printers can work with precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. The main task when working with them is to ensure the optimal consumption of expensive material. Precious metals are used in 3D printing of jewelry and medical products, as well as in the production of electronics.

Metal 3D printers


# 1: Sciaky EBAM 300 - titanium rod

For printing really large metal structures, Sciaky's EBAM is the best choice. This device can be any size, to order. It is used primarily in the US aerospace and defense industries.

As a production model, Sciaky sells the EBAM 300. It has a working area with sides of 5791 x 1219 x 1219 mm.

The company claims the EBAM 300 is one of the fastest commercially available industrial 3D printers. Structural elements of aircraft, the production of which, according to traditional technologies, could take up to six months, are now printed within 48 hours.

Sciaky's unique technology uses a high power electron beam gun to melt 3mm thick titanium filament, with a standard deposition rate of about 3-9 kg/hr.

#2: Fabrisonic UAM - Ultrasonic

Another way to 3D print large metal parts is Ultrasound Additive Manufacturing Technology (UAM) from Fabrisonic. The brainchild of Fabrisonic is a three-axis CNC machine with an additional welding head. The metal layers are first cut and then welded together using ultrasound. Fabrisonic's largest 3D printer, "7200", has a build volume of 2 x 2 x 1.5 m.

# 3: Laser XLine 1000 - metal powder

One of the largest metal powder 3D printers on the market has long been the Concept Laser XLine 1000. It has a build area of ​​630 x 400 x 500mm and takes up space like a small house.

The German company that made it, which is one of the suppliers of 3D printers for aerospace giants such as Airbus, recently introduced a new printer, the XLine 2000.

2000 has two lasers and an even larger build volume of 800 x 400 x 500 mm. This machine, which uses patented LaserCUSING technology (a type of selective laser melting), can create objects from alloys of steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, precious metals, and some pure materials (titanium and bar steels.)

All major players in the metal 3D printing market: EOS, SLM, Renishaw, Realizer and 3D Systems, as well as Shining 3D, a rapidly growing company from China.

# 4: M Line Factory - Modular 3D Factory

Displacement: 398.78 x 398.78 x 424.18 mm
1 to 4 lasers, 400 - 1000 watts each.

The M Line Factory concept is based on the principles of automation and interaction.

M Line Factory, from the same Concept Laser and operating on the same technology, does not focus on the size of the workspace, but on the convenience of production - it is a modular architecture apparatus that divides production into separate processes in such a way that these processes can occur simultaneously, not sequentially.

This new architecture consists of 2 independent machine units:

M Line Factory PRD (Production Unit)

Production Unit consists of 3 types of modules: dosing module, printing module and overflow module (tray for finished products). All of them can be individually activated and do not form one continuous piece of equipment. These modules are transported through a system of tunnels inside the machine. For example, when new powder is supplied, the empty powder storage module can be automatically replaced with a new one without interrupting the printing process. Finished parts can be moved outside the machine and immediately automatically replaced by the next jobs.

M Line Factory PCG (Processing Unit)

This is an independent data processing unit that has an integrated sieving and powder preparation station. Unpacking, preparation for the next print job and sieving take place in a closed system, without the participation of the operator.

# 5: ORLAS CREATOR - 3D printer ready to go

The creators of ORLAS CREATOR position this 3D printer as the most affordable, easy-to-use and ready-to-use, does not require the installation of any additional components and third-party programs, capable of printing directly from a complete CAD / CAM file of their own design.

All the necessary components are installed in a relatively compact case, which needs a space of 90x90x200 cm. It does not take up much space, although it looks impressive, and it weighs 350 kg.

As can be understood from the table given by the manufacturer, the metal powder is sintered by a rotating laser system, in layers 20-100 µm thick and with a “pixel” size of only 40 µm, in a nitrogen or argon atmosphere. You can connect it to a regular household power supply if your wiring can withstand a load of 10 amperes. Which, however, does not exceed the requirements of an average washing machine.

Laser power - 250 watts. The working area is a cylinder 100 mm in diameter and 110 mm in height.

#6: FormUp 350 - Powder Machine Part Method (PMPM)

The FormUp 350, powered by Powder Machine Part Method (PMPM), was created by AddUp, a joint venture between Fives and Michelin. This is the latest metal 3D printing machine, first introduced in November at Formnext2016.

The principle of operation of this 3D printer is the same as that of the above colleagues, but its main feature is different - it lies in its inclusion in PMPM.

The printer is designed specifically for industrial use, in 24/7 mode, and is designed for exactly this pace of work. The PMPM system includes quality control of all components and materials, at all stages of their production and distribution, which should guarantee consistently high performance, in which Michelin has a huge long-term experience.

# 7: XJET - NanoParticle Jetting - metal inkjet

The nanoparticle injection technology involves the use of special sealed cartridges with a solution containing a suspension of metal nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles are deposited and form the material of the printed product.

Considering the claimed features of the technology (the use of nano-sized metal particles), it is easy to believe the creators of the device when they claim its unprecedented accuracy and print resolution.

# 8: VADER Mk1 - MagnetoJet - Metal Inkjet

Zack Vader's MagnetoJet technology is based on the study of magnetohydrodynamics, and more specifically, the ability to control molten metal using magnetic fields. The essence of the development is that a drop of a strictly controlled size is formed from molten aluminum, and these drops are used for printing.

The size of such a droplet is from 200 to 500 microns, printing occurs at a speed of 1000 drops per second. Printer working area: 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm

Media: Aluminum and its alloys (4043, 6061, 7075). And, even though it is only aluminum for now, the printer is 2 times faster than powder ones and up to 10 times cheaper.

The Mk2 is scheduled for release in 2018 and will be equipped with 10 printheads, which should increase print speed by 30 times.

# 9: METAL X - ADAM - atomic diffusion

Markforged introduced a new metal 3D printing technology - ADAM, and a 3D printer working on this technology - Metal X.

ADAM (Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing) - atomic diffusion technology. Printing is done with metal powder, where the metal particles are coated with a synthetic binder, which is removed after printing, allowing the metal to fuse together.

The main advantage of the technology is the absence of the need to use ultra-high temperatures directly in the printing process, which means that there are no restrictions on the refractoriness of the materials used for printing. Theoretically, the printer can create 3D models from heavy-duty tool steels - now it is already printing with stainless steel, and titanium, Inconel and D2 and A2 steels are in development.

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