Many metal end-use parts are designed for manufacturing, which results in clunky components and excess material not necessary for the function. A company called Desktop Metal has developed a printer that can print svelte, elegant, and strong metal parts.
Workshop participants were asked to answer questions about their experience with this technology, and their responses were analyzed using grounded theory coding. Three themes emerged:
How 3D Technology Will Change Metal Printing
The 3D printing trend that began with plastics is now expanding into metals. It's also disrupting traditional methods of metal fabrication, making it possible to create parts faster and cheaper. But the metal printing process isn't yet perfect. There's a lot of work to do to make it efficient and accurate enough for mass production.
Aerospace and defense companies were among the first to adopt this technology. They have tight deadlines and use expensive alloys for small components. But there are other industries that could benefit, too. For example, medical and dental businesses would save money using 3D-printed surgical tools, instead of buying standard stainless steel ones.
Printing in metal requires the ability to create a layer of metal at a time, which means it needs to be precise. To do that, several processes are being developed to make 3D printing services in metal more accurate. One is a technique called direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), also known as selective laser melting, which uses a beam of laser light to melt a layer of metal powder in a heat chamber layer by layer until the part is complete. This is the most commonly used technique for manufacturing 3D metal parts today, and it's suitable for a wide range of metal materials.
A company called Desktop Metal is releasing a new printer that promises to reduce costs by using a process it calls single-pass jetting. The machine jets millions of droplets per second in a bidirectional pattern, which can build up high-resolution layers very quickly. This allows it to produce a part in minutes, compared to hours for conventional machines.
What Are the Benefits?
For industries like jewelry, 3D printing offers a way to bypass several complicated steps in the production process. Instead of having to learn about the production of molds, casting different metals, electroplating, stone cutting, engraving, and polishing, for example, one can just design a prototype and print it. This makes it much easier to get a product to market and also reduces the risk of investment.
Another benefit is that it is much more efficient than traditional manufacturing processes. A metal production part can be turned from computer designs to a finished part in hours, which is much faster than the days or weeks it takes for conventional manufacturing. And a printer can build continuously 24 hours a day.
The ability to use different materials is another advantage of the technology, which allows manufacturers to produce products with complex internal structures that wouldn’t be possible with other fabrication methods. For instance, some 3D printers can produce titanium medical implants with lattice patterns that resemble bone and would encourage the growth of new tissue over time. This could help patients with bone loss or injuries.
Many designers are experimenting with the capabilities of this new technology. For example, Dutch designer Joris Laarman has created a range of fascinating objects that combine 3D printing with generative design. His works combine science, technology, restless curiosity, and a lyrical aesthetic.
Moreover, 3D printing can bring the price of production down to an all-time low. This means that success in the manufacturing business will depend less on scale and more on the brilliance of ideas. It is therefore likely that battles over intellectual property will become even more intense. However, some experts argue that this will be countered by the fact that it will be even easier for imitators to copy or improve upon a company’s innovative products.
What Are the Challenges?
3D printing reduces manufacturing costs by decreasing waste (such as scrap material) and reducing the need for formwork. It also allows for more complex designs that would not be possible to manufacture using traditional methods, as well as for the production of bespoke products.
However, there are several challenges to adopting 3D printing in metal manufacturing. Firstly, the technology can be difficult to master as it operates very differently from traditional processes. The process involves the digitalization of a physical object by breaking it down into a set of coordinates, which then forms a 3D model using an additive layering approach. In addition, the printers must be constantly calibrated to ensure the object is correctly formed. Secondly, the quality of the printed object is often affected by the type and composition of the material used. Additionally, the process can be slow and expensive.
While polymers are the most commonly used material in AM today, participants in our survey indicated that they are interested in exploring the use of metals in the future. However, it is important to note that introducing metals into the AM process requires a significant investment in equipment and specialized training.
In a more general sense, 3D printing is transforming the way we perceive the world around us and how we interact with it. This technocultural shift is reflected in the ubiquity of digital technologies and the increasing demand for personalized consumer experiences that are tailored to individual needs, contexts, and tastes. For example, consumers have become accustomed to companies surreptitiously collecting information on their online buying behavior, in order to display relevant ads and products.
What Are the Solutions?
With the rise of metal printing, we are moving from a world where manufacturing is limited to isolated production steps to one where we print entire parts and then add finishing processes. That will shift the power away from printers and towards systems integrators. These companies will set up branded platforms and work on standards to coordinate and support the whole ecosystem. They will foster innovation through open sourcing and acquire or partner with smaller companies that meet high standards of quality.
While the technology is still maturing, there are already a number of solutions on the market that can make the transition to functional printing easier for manufacturers. For example, Markforged’s Metal X printer has a modular system that allows users to build and upgrade their machines without replacing the entire platform. This makes it much cheaper and simpler to use 3D printing for prototyping or short production runs.
In addition, the company’s technology can be used to produce complete parts at a lower cost than conventional injection molding. This is because the printing process produces the initial green-state geometry of a component, which means that a mold doesn’t need to be created for the finished product. In fact, the company’s Metal Jet printing platform is being used by manufacturing leaders such as GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech to produce final components for customers like Volkswagen, Primo Medical Group, and OKAY Industries.
The potential of 3D printing for metals is immense. It could allow for the creation of entirely new manufacturing processes, rewriting the rules of industry competition, and fundamentally changing how products are made around the globe. It is clear that Africa must take advantage of this emerging technology in order to remain competitive and develop a viable economy.
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