Six Common Myths about Metal 3D Printers
By Yash Gautam
Metal 3D printing has been around for decades, technology has been misrepresented in both positive and harmful ways. However, because of advancements in technology and materials, firms can achieve so much more with a metal printer designed for industrial floors. People who are uninformed about new technology are more likely to avoid it or to utilize it. Before utilizing a metal 3D printer, make sure you have all of the necessary information.
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the most commonly-held beliefs about metal 3D printing, and dispelling the myths behind them.
Limited choices of the material in metal 3d printing:
Different applications require different materials depending upon the needs of the user. There is a perception among the people that in metal 3d printing you can use all kinds of metals and their alloys. But the truth is totally different. Each technology has its own limitations about the metals material. But in the industry verticals such as aerospace, automotive, and medical are using commercially available metal material. Such as titanium, aluminum, pure copper, and superalloys like Inconel 625, etc.
Strength as compared to that of Conventionally machined parts:
Traditional 3d printing technology such as FDM & FFF are inherently weak in the Z direction due to the very nature of the material deposition process. However, technologies like metal powder bed fusion can resolve this problem and can attain strength on par with CNC parts in strength. Moreover, the rise of Design for Additive Manufacturing is opening up a whole new way of designing & manufacturing that can potentially produce parts that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient than their machined counterparts.
Metal 3D printers are difficult to operate:
With the advent of industry 4.0, all complex machines are being connected to the internet. This has made Human Machine interfaces easier than ever before. It is however true that production-capable metal 3d printers require extra precautions such as a cleanroom & proper respiratory kits and other safety equipment to operate and requires a trained operator to use the machine, but office-friendly machines such as Markforged Metal X are on the rise.
Surface finish & Tolerances:
The surface finish of metal 3d printed parts is low as compared to Conventional manufacturing but this problem can be circumnavigated using additional post-processing. Using post-processing, a metal 3d printed part can achieve a surface roughness of Ra 3 to 5 or less.
There is no pre & post-processing in metal Printing:
Generally, people think that metal 3d printing is very similar to other 3d printing technologies, they do not require any other process to get completed. But in metal technologies, we require a few post-processing stages to convert the 3d printed green part into a workable component.
Simple 3d printed components do not require much post-processing, they can be used right after sintering with basic clean up, however high precision and mating components do require additional post-processing in order to achieve the required surface finish and tolerances.
Metal Printer are cheaper in cost:
As with every emerging technology, the economies of scale dictate that in the beginning, the technology remains expensive due to limited understanding of the technology itself, verified results, etc. This is also true for metal 3d printing as well.
Conclusion
Overall, we can conclude that 3d printing in metal is reaching a turning point, where the development in materials, print speed, and print quality has created some processes that are ready for industrial production and adaptation of metal technology in mainstream prototyping.
To know more about it, contact us for 3D printers and services in India contact us at www.4dsindia.com or Email us at info@4dsindia.com
