3D Metal Printing

3D Printing has been gaining traction through many scientific and engineering disciplines as an easy way to print complex structures, some of which are not possible by other means and the recent trend in the industry is 3D metal printing.

What is 3D printing and 3D metal printing?

3D printing is an approach that fuses together different materials into various complex structures, which have previously been designed and pre-programmed.it is done by a novel layer-by-layer deposition method that can be designed in three-dimensions.

The 3D metal printing is a process that uses metals. it fuses layers of metals together using a laser, The process is controlled by scanning the structure with the laser. there are different methods to 3D print metals. the materials that can be used in 3D metal printing includes aluminum, copper, gold, platinum, titanium and various metal alloys

Recent developments in 3D metal printing:

1. 3D printing aluminum structures at room temperature:

 The process is considered to be a non-melt method and has been proven to create structures that have a density in excess of 99%.

2. 3D printed vaccines: 
SEAL (StampEd Assembly of polymer Layers), a new 3D printing technique. Created by 3D micro particles capable of holding vaccine doses. It enables the release of their contents into the body at different stages. this groundbreaking project will improve immunization rates for those without regular access to healthcare.this is been funded by bill gates foundation

3. 3D printing in the construction industry:
A Dutch company and the Eindhoven University of Technology used their giant concrete printer to construct a pedestrian bridge. 

4. 3D printing in robotics:

Create complex parts from a range of materials that are capable of performing diverse functions.

Major players in the industry :

•  HP metal jet:

HP claims that the new additive manufacturing system will provide users with up to 50 times more productivity at a significantly lower cost compared to other metal 3D printing methods.

•        Desktop metal:

This groundbreaking hardware tandem is making metal additive manufacturing much more affordable and capable of producing parts faster.

And many more.

Metal 3D printing processes are used to manufacture complex, bespoke parts with geometries that traditional manufacturing methods are unable to produce. the parts can be topologically optimized to maximize their performance while minimizing their weight and the total number of components in an assembly.

The 3D metal printing trend is already established in Germany and we will see more widespread adoption globally in 2018. Soon there will be a future of a 3D printed world , and the time is now to find the right-fit for your organization.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author's and not necessarily represent or reflect the views of DoT Club as a whole.