"My next science project will be..."
Posted on 06/30/2016 3:26:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Filamet™, the new product from The Virtual Foundry, llc in Madison, Wisconsin, lets any standard 3d printer, print pure metal right on the desktop. This Crowdfunded development will likely change the way metal is 3D Printed.
"I'd like to introduce you to the people that have found the Holy Grail of 3D Printing." -Engineer introducing Bradley Woods before a presentation given in the Hubble Auditorium at Lockheed-Martin.
The Virtual Foundry has combined traditional plastics, Powdered Metallurgy, Metal Injection Molding and 3D Printing in a completely new way. Filamet™ has a composition of over 88% metal, which becomes pure metal after a simple process removes the 12% binding material. This strategy creates a path from inexpensive 3D Printers, to Pure Metal output. A feat previously only capable on million-plus dollar printers. Filamet™ has a number of advantages over existing Metal Laser Printers. Purchase cost and operating costs being the most obvious, but also Time. Processing a Filamet™ print can be done in under 5 hours. Large printers have a print cycle of up to 48 hours.
"Printer manufacturers have struggled for years to bring 3D Metal Printers down into a workable price range. Filamet™ takes a different approach. Rather than bringing the high-end down, it extends the capabilities of current 3D Printers up to those of the high-end machines." - Bradley Woods
"We expect materials to account for a large portion of near-term product innovation in the 3D Printing market," concluded Mr. Woods, "our company offers an immediate solution to producing real and useful metal prints on the desktop 3D Printer that you already own." Since going public with Filamet™, The Virtual Foundry has developed relationships with a series of industries that one might not first expect. We're exploring small-scale manufacturing with Calvin Klein, low-cost consumable parts used in Radiation Therapy with the world's largest nuclear medicine facility, a prototyping technique that will 3d print uranium (Department of Energy), plus other materials used in aerospace and other industries.
Our patented technology works with any 3D Printer, and any material that will "Sinter". This makes a nearly endless list of potential materials for future variations of Filamet™. Over the next 6 months we will be releasing 3D Printing filament based on other metals plus Glass and Ceramic.
"From here, the curve in 3d printing metal, goes forward rapidly and indefinitely." - Bradley Woods
The Virtual Foundry is a technology company in Madison, Wisconsin specializing in developing products for 3d Printing Metal, Glass and Ceramic objects on existing desktop 3d Printers. All of our products are manufactured in America, from raw materials manufactured in America.
Source: http://www.thevirtualfoundry.com/
"My next science project will be..."
Wonder if the parts have to be heat cured in an oven after printing
wow. Sounds like a precursor to a Replicator. I’m only half joking, what a fantastic advance.
Bismuth?
If you want to remove the binder and sinter the metal, yes. But it is not required for a finished product. Some comments indicate for some purposes (likely artistic/decorative), it is preferred as is, just polished.
http://www.thevirtualfoundry.com/how-it-works/
I think not. I don't know what the heating technology is, but the way I read it, 88%metal, 12%binder material is changed to 100% metal as part of the deposition and shaping process.
Sintering a metal part is not difficult, but the temperatures required are much higher than a typical oven or furnace (1900-2100F), require protective atmosphere, and while relatively cheap for high volume production, are damned expensive for small scale production.
Judging from the look of the finished example part, I'm not impressed. Some massive gross porosity.
See my post 8 ... my previous post that said sintering not necessary to remove the binder, that is FALSE. My mistake, didn't look it up, shot my mouth off on assumptions based on the news article.
It would need to be pretty porous to let the vaporized binder material out. Are any strength figures available for it?
Looks like a hobbyist grade ceramic kiln would suffice to do it, though.
Love 3D printing but its still really slow and expensive, especially for larger, heavy parts which have 48 hour plus cycles
Most larger parts can be CNC machined much faster, more cost effectively and to higher precision . The end product is also usually much stronger
For short run or prototype production of small, highly complex parts that would otherwise require something like a very expensive 9 axis CNC to produce, the 3D systems excel
3D systems have a great future but we are still quite a few generations away.
Yes, but protecting the part from oxidation requires some effort.
Porosity of the part as a whole, the microscopic porosity, is a function of how much binder is in there. This looks like a sort of powdered metal wire raw material.
Dunno, maybe it does need a special atmosphere too. That would require more complex equipment, something gastight or nearly so with atmosphere replenished as necessary.
Limited application for rapid prototyping but not production, even to ignoring the printing time disadvantages.
The World’s First Entirely 3D Printed Gun
http://gizmodo.com/100-000-people-have-already-downloaded-3d-printed-gun-p-498755006
My reaction too. For decorative or arts objects, it adds an antique type effect. I am sure there are many uses for even this level of slightly crappy. For instance, 3d printing of prototype, test, or temporary parts for plastics is huge. The costs and time involved in molds is a big factor in product development. Metal quite a bit different I am sure, but I would think for some applications this is a big step. Also the possibilities in glass and ceramics. Additionally, the product works in 3D pens, which is something I am very interested in.
From what I saw, only copper and bronze available now. The finished product appears quite porous.
Does it need a blanket of nitrogen to keep it from oxidizing or does the binder prevent that?
Also, what is the nozzle made out of to withstand such high temperatures? The nozzles gotta be pricey.
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