Metal 3d printer for home

The fixture must be regularly replaced as it wears out. Printing the part with the Studio System eliminates CNC lead time and frees up the machine shop for more critical work.

• Size (mm): 47 x 28 x 15
• Cost to print: $14.00

• Bound Metal Deposition™

Tri Manifold

Manufacturing Alloy 625

This part converges three flow paths into one via internal channels. These channels would be impossible to machine and instead would need to be drilled as straight holes and plugged.

Printing on the Studio System allows these channels to be designed for their function rather than their manufacturing method. This part can be produced in just a few days with very little hands-on work.

• Size (mm): 108 x 101 x 98
• Cost to print: ($) 906.00
• Cost to DMLS ($): 4069.28
• Savings vs. machining: 77.74%

Bound Metal Deposition™

Generative Piston Head

Generative Design, Prototyping 4140

Prototype piston head for a reciprocating engine, optimized with generative design. Typically CNC machined from aluminum alloy, pistons can be time-consuming and difficult to rapidly prototype and test.

It often takes months or even years to move from design to production. With the Studio System, various piston designs can be easily prototyped and tested—speeding up product development timelines, reducing time to market, and introducing new opportunities for optimization, including generative design—all while avoiding CNC backlog and lead times.

• Size (mm): 105 x 105 x 54
• Cost to print ($): 271.00
• Cost to machine ($): 568.13
• Savings vs. machining: 52.30%

Bound Metal Deposition™

YE6 Burner Tip

Tooling and Machinery 316L Stainless Steel

This burner tip was originally cast in the 1950s. With the Studio System, the company was able to recreate the part with properties similar to the original cast part, with no tooling cost or long lead times.

The quote for new tooling is usually in the tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, Studio System 2, a printer that was designed from the ground up for simple installation and use, allows for significant cost savings, especially when it comes to manufacturing obsolete parts at low costs and without compromising part quality.

• Size (mm): 139 x 139 x 86
• Cost to print ($): 193.46
• Cost to machine: ($) 694.00
• Cost reduction: 72.00%

Bound Metal Deposition™

Helical Heat Exchanger

Manufacturing Copper

This heat exchanger enables a much higher heat transfer rate than a traditionally manufactured part. Used in chemical processing to cool a hot gas as it flows through a pipe.

The Studio System allows for the complex geometry of the heat exchanger to easily be printed as a single component. It would not be manufacturable as one component via CNC machining due to its thin external fins and a complex, internal helical cooling channel.

• Size (mm): 78 x 64 x 58
• Cost to print ($): 443.00
• Cost to machine ($): 2138.00
• Cost reduction: 79.28%

Bound Metal Deposition™

Zipper Mold

Material: h23 Tool Steel

This part is an injection mold insert for manufacturing zinc zippers.

The 3D printing of the mold inserts shortens production run lead time and allows rapid iteration and refinement of zipper designs. Using a high-resolution printhead allows for smaller parts with finer features, requiring less post-processing.

Size (mm): 46 x 27 x 18
Cost to print ($): 16.00

Bound Metal Deposition (BMD)™

😲 Metal 3D Printing at home!

😲 Did you know that you can print 100% metal parts on your home 3D filament printer?

A hint: it’s not like making a mold to cast molten metal – much easier!

We show you how to print metal with your FDM printer and introduce you to all the 3D metal printing technologies that exist.

📖 What do you want to read?

Filament for printing metal parts

You may have noticed that some manufacturers sell filament with metal dust. These are materials that imitate the metal finish on your printed pieces.

But we are not talking about this, we are talking about filament that is printed in 3D and used to make 100% metallic printed parts.

What material is it? It is the BASF Ultrafuse filament from the German company BASF. It is a filament with a large amount of metallic dust that is printed with a conventional FDM 3D printer. After printing, the pieces have to follow a chemical washing and sintering process in an oven so that the metal powder is fused into a single solid metal piece.

Here is a video where you can see what results can be achieved with this type of 3D metal printing.

What is the filament made of? The content of the BASF Ultrafuse 316L filament is, as its name suggests, 316L stainless steel, a very popular steel used in applications where corrosion resistance is a critical feature, as it is more expensive and stronger than the most common stainless steel (304).

The filament coil contains 90% metal by mass; the rest of the material is the thermoplastic which makes it remain in thread form and flow through the printer extruder.

Examples of parts made with this filament

As you can see, the parts that go through the whole post-processing process have the characteristic lines of 3D layered printing and some filament sticking. The pieces can be sanded both in green (this is what the piece is called before it is washed and sintered) and in its final metallic form. They can also be polished, shot-blasted, etc.

The post-processing of the metal filament

As we said, with this filament we need a post-processing to obtain the final metal part.

The post-processing is usually done in an external company. Usually when you buy the coil it includes in its price the post-processing of the parts you manufacture with it. The technologies for post-processing of powder metal and plastic parts already exist for MIM (Metal Injection Molding) manufacturing, so it is possible to find suppliers who focus on these phases.

The process that the part goes through until it is a steel mass is as follows:

• Printing (green part). Printed on a conventional FFF printer with an abrasive resistant tip
• Washing/Debinding (brown part). The printed part is immersed in an atmosphere of vaporized nitric acid (HNO3) and heated to remove the plastic from the part so that only the metal dust remains. The result is the phase known as the brown part.
• Sintering. The brown part is placed in an oven where it is subjected to high temperatures without melting it so that the powder particles are completely fused and almost 100% desiccated. During this process the part shrinks, so it is necessary to print it with a margin that is established in the design process.

👉 How to print metal on your own printer

Now the most important question: can I use any printer to print it? Yes, you can print with conventional FDM desktop printers: Ultimaker, BCN Sigma… in 1. 75 and 3mm filament. The only thing you need is a steel nozzle to resist the abrasion of the metal filament.

These are the printing parameters of the BASF Ultrafuse 316L filament, judge for yourself:

And how much does it cost? It’s starting to be distributed and can be found at Matterhackers for $465 a reel.

¿Do you want to try 3D metal printing?

We have not yet been able to get hold of a BASF Ultrafuse coil to test it, but we are very interested in starting to print metal parts. If you want to ask us for a quote for this or any other project, just leave us a message and we will help you make it happen:

How metal 3D printers work. Overview of SLM and DMLS technologies. additive manufacturing. 3D metal printing.

Hello everyone, Friends! 3DTool is with you!

BLT metal 3D printer catalog

Selective laser melting ( SLM ) and direct metal laser sintering ( DMLS ) are two additive manufacturing processes that belong to the family of 3D printing using the powder layer method. The two technologies have much in common: they both use a laser to selectively melt (or melt) metal powder particles, bonding them together and creating a pattern layer by layer. In addition, the materials used in both processes are metals in granular form.

The differences between SLM and DMLS come down to the basics of the particle bonding process: SLM uses metal powders with a single melting point and completely melts the particles, while in DMLS the powder consists of materials with variable melting points.

Specifically:
SLM produces single metal parts while DMLS produces metal alloy parts.
Both SLM and DMLS technologies are used in industry to create final engineering products. In this article, we will use the term "metal 3D printing" to summarize the 2 technologies. We will also describe the main mechanisms of the manufacturing process that are necessary for engineers to understand the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies.
There are other manufacturing processes for producing dense metal parts, such as electron beam melting (EBM) and ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM). Their availability and distribution is rather limited, so they will not be presented in this article.

How does metal 3D printing work? The basic manufacturing process for SLM and DMLS is very similar.

1. The printing chamber is first filled with an inert gas (such as argon) to minimize the oxidation of the metal powder. It then heats up to the optimum operating temperature.
2. A layer of powder is spread over the platform, a powerful laser makes passes along a predetermined path in the program, fusing the metal particles together and creating the next layer.
3. When the sintering process is completed, the platform moves down 1 layer. Next, another thin layer of metal powder is applied. The process is repeated until the entire model is printed.

When the printing process is completed, the metal powder already has strong bonds in the structure. Unlike the SLS process, parts are attached to the platform via support structures. The support in metal 3D printing is created from the same material as the base part. This condition is necessary to reduce deformations that may occur due to high processing temperatures.
When the 3D printer's chamber cools down to room temperature, excess powder is removed manually, such as with a brush. The parts are then typically heat treated while they are still attached to the platform. This is done to relieve any residual stresses. They can then be further processed. The removal of the part from the platform occurs by means of sawing.

In SLM and DMLS, almost all process parameters are set by the manufacturer. The layer height used in metal 3D printing varies from 20 to 50 microns and depends on the properties of the metal powder (fluidity, particle size distribution, shape, etc.).
The basic size of the print area on metal 3D printers is 200 x 150 x 150 mm, but there are also larger sizes of the working area. Printing accuracy is from 50 - 100 microns. As of 2020, metal 3D printers start at $150,000. For example, our company offers 3D metal printers from BLT.
metal 3D printers can be used for small batch production, but the 3D printing capabilities of such systems are more like those of mass production on FDM or SLA machines.
The metal powder in SLM and DMLS is recyclable: typically less than 5% is consumed. After each impression, the unused powder is collected and sieved, and then topped up with fresh material to the level required for the next production.
Waste in metal printing, are supports (support structures, without which it will not be possible to achieve a successful result). With too much support on the manufactured parts, the cost of the entire production will increase accordingly.

3D metal printing on BLT 3D printers

SLM and DMLS metal parts have almost isotropic mechanical and thermal properties. They are hard and have very little internal porosity (less than 0.2% in 3D printed condition and virtually non-existent after processing).
Metal printed parts have higher strength and hardness and are often more flexible than traditionally made parts. However, such metal becomes “tired” faster.

3D model support structure and part orientation on the work platform.

Support structures are always required when printing with metal, due to the very high processing temperatures. They are usually built using a lattice pattern.

Supports in metal 3D printing perform 3 functions:

• They form the basis for creating the first layer of the part.
• They secure the part to the platform and prevent it from deforming.
• They act as a heat sink, removing heat from the model.

Parts are often oriented at an angle. However, this will increase the amount of support required, the printing time, and ultimately the overall cost.
Deformation can also be minimized with laser sintering templates. This strategy prevents the accumulation of residual stresses in any particular direction and adds a characteristic surface texture to the part.

Since the cost of metal printing is very high, software simulations are often used to predict how a part will behave during processing. These topology optimization algorithms are otherwise used not only to increase mechanical performance and create lightweight parts, but also to minimize the need for supports and the likelihood of part distortion.

An example of printing on a BLT 3D printer

Unlike polymer powder melt processes such as SLS, large hollow sections are not typically used in metal printing as the support would be very difficult to remove, if at all possible.
For internal channels larger than Ø 8 mm, it is recommended to use diamond or teardrop cross-sections instead of round ones, as they do not require support. More detailed recommendations on the design of SLM and DMLS can be found in other articles on this topic.

As an alternative to hollow sections, parts can be made with sheath and cores, which in turn are machined using different laser power and pass speeds, resulting in different material properties. The use of sheath and cores is very useful when making parts with a large solid section, as it greatly reduces printing time and reduces the chance of warping.

The use of a lattice structure is a common strategy in metal 3D printing to reduce part weight. Topology optimization algorithms can also help design organic lightweight shapes.

SLM and DMLS technologies can produce parts from a wide range of metals and metal alloys, including aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, cobalt, chromium and inconel. These materials meet the needs of most industrial applications, from aerospace to medical applications. Precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium and silver can also be processed, but their use is of a minor nature and is mainly limited to jewelry making.

The cost of metal powder is very high. For example, a kilogram of 316 stainless steel powder costs approximately $350-$450. For this reason, minimizing part volume and the need for supports is key to maintaining optimal manufacturing cost.
The main advantage of metal 3D printing is its compatibility with high-strength materials such as nickel or cobalt-chromium superalloys, which are very difficult to machine with traditional methods. Significant cost and time savings can be achieved by using metal 3D printing to create a near-clean shape part. Subsequently, such a part can be processed to a very high surface quality.

Various post methods. treatments are used to improve the mechanical properties, accuracy and appearance of metal printed products.
Mandatory post-processing steps include the removal of loose powder and support structures, while heat treatment (heat annealing) is typically used to relieve residual stresses and improve the mechanical properties of the part.

CNC machining can be used for critical features (such as holes or threads). Sandblasting, plating, polishing, and micro-machining can improve the surface quality and fatigue strength of a metal printed part.

Pros:

1. Metal 3D printing can be used to make complex custom parts, with geometries that traditional manufacturing methods cannot provide.
2. Metal 3D printed parts can be optimized to increase their performance with minimal weight.
3. Metal 3D printed parts have excellent physical properties, metal 3D printers can print a wide range of metals and alloys. Includes difficult-to-machine materials and metal superalloys.

Cons:

1. Manufacturing costs associated with metal 3D printing are high. The cost of consumables is from $ 500 per 1 kg.
2. The size of the working area in metal 3D printers is limited.

• Metal 3D printing is most suitable for complex, one-piece parts that are difficult or very expensive to manufacture using traditional methods, such as CNC.
• Reducing the need for building supports, will significantly reduce the cost of printing with metal.
• 3D printed metal parts have excellent mechanical properties and can be made from a wide range of engineering materials, including superalloys.

And that's all we have! We hope the article was useful to you.

Catalog of 3D printers for metal BLT

You can purchase metal 3d printers, as well as any other 3d printers and CNC machines, by contacting us:

• By email: [email protected]

• By phone: 8(800)775-86-69

• Or on our website: http://3dtool.ru

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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 chemical compounds 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

3D with various types of metals

Delivery throughout Russia and CIS countries

installation for 3 9020 which we use