When you perform a lot of machining, a metal 3D printer is an excellent option. Lasers have made 3D printing technologies more available to the masses. Some of the parts that are created through 3D printing technologies are just as good, or better than parts produced using traditional methods.
3D Printers Aren't New
Traditional forms of manufacturing can be wasteful. A lot of parts and excess material can be used. 3D printing, on the other hand, uses less material. 3D printing also allows for the part to be lighter than other parts. 3D metal printing is not new, but older equipment was only able to create metal parts very slowly. Therefore, 3D printing was only used for prototyping. But newer printers will completely change this fact.
How Metal 3D Printers Are Different
Normal 3D printers are not capable of printing metal parts because metal requires a much higher temperature. For this reason, if you need 3D printing work, you will either need a facility that can operate at very high temperatures or you will need to find a shop that is capable of printing 3D metal objects.
Printer Capabilities
The great thing about 3D printers is that they can handle the finest details and can produce the thinnest walls. This allows for you to engineer parts that would otherwise be difficult to produce and also means that you may use fewer materials.
Creating products using 3D printers is safer and cleaner. The part is held in a self-contained chamber isolated from anything that could disrupt the product. This leads to parts that are more durable and also prevents injuries.
Faster And At A Lower Cost
Another advantage of 3D metal printers is that they can produce products hundreds of times faster than traditional methods and can produce them at a fraction of the cost. The equipment itself is not cheap, but after overcoming the upfront costs, a business will see considerable cost savings.
A 3D metal printer can be very versatile. Some models can use over 200 alloys. A furnace heats the metal using microwaves and gas power. Metal and ceramic powders are mixed with polymers. Heat burns off of the polymers, and the gases are filtered by charcoal. While the metal materials fuse together, they do not lose their shape. The eventual goal is to develop processes that are insulated enough that the 3D printer can be used in a home.
