Investigating Properties of Virgin, Sieved, and Waste 316L Metallic Powder for SLM 3D Printing

We often see metal 3D printing used to make steel parts, so plenty of research is being done regarding the material properties. Researchers from VSB – Technical University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic published a paper, “Research of 316L Metallic Powder for Use in SLM 3D Printing,” about investigating Renishaw’s AISI 316L powder for use in Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology.

“Understanding the SLM process is extremely challenging, not only because of the large number of thermal, mechanical and chemical phenomena that take place here, but also in terms of metallurgy. The presence of three states (solid, liquid, gaseous) complicates the ability to analyze and formulate a model formula for proper simulation and prediction of part performance when printed,” they explained. “Since the SLM process operates on a powder basis, this process is more complicated by another factor compared to the use of other bulk material. The properties of the used printing powder define to a large extent the quality of the finished part.”

Because the material can impact an SLM 3D printed part’s final properties, powder research should be done ahead of time for best results. Particle size, shape, flowability, morphology, and size distribution are key factors in making a homogeneous powder layer, and using gas atomization to produce spherical particles helps achieve high packing density; this can also be improved with small particles.

The researchers investigated three phases of metallic powder present in the SLM process – virgin powder (manufacturer-supplied), test powder that had been sieved 30 times, and waste powder “that had settled in the sieve and was no longer being processed and disposed of.” They used a non-magnetic austenitic stainless steel, alloyed with elements like nickel and chromium and containing a low percentage of carbon.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the powder morphology, which “affects the application of metal powder by laser in terms of fluidity and packing density.” First, the shape of the powder particles was measured and evaluated, and then a visual quality evaluation was completed to look at the spherical quality and satellite (shape irregularity) content. The team found that many particles had satellites, but that this number increased in over-sized powder.

Fig. 1. SEM image of virgin powder 316L, magnification x180

“The measurement of virgin powder (Fig. 1) reveals that the production of powder by gas atomization is not perfect and the shape of some particles is not perfectly spherical,” the researchers wrote. “It is also possible to observe satellites (small particles glued to larger ones, Fig. 2), which are again a defect of the production method.”

Fig. 2. Satellite illustration, magnification x900

They found that the particle shape was “not always isometric,” and that cylindrical, elongated, and irregular shapes appeared alongside spherical particles in over-sized powders.

“Another interesting phenomenon was manifested in the sieved powder, where particles with a smoother and more spherical surface were observed than the original particles. This is most likely due to the melting and solidification process that is specific to AM,” they noted.

Fig. 3. Morphological defects – a) particle fusion; b) gas impurities; c) agglomeration – sintered particle;
d) dendritic particle structure; e) spherical particle; f) particles with a satellite

An optical method was used to measure powder porosity. The 316L powder was embedded in a resin, and was “1 mm layer abraded” post-curing before the particles were cut in half and polished with diamond paste. The images captured via microscope were loaded into analysis software, which determined that the total density of the powder was 99.785%.

“In general, pores must be closed from 3/4 of their circumference to be considered pores,” the team explained. “Particles that do not comply with this rule are automatically considered irregular particles.”

Fig. 4. An example of open pores that correspond to the rule (L), and pores that do not conform (R)

The researchers also measured the size of all individual pores and recorded which ones began at 5 µm, though they noted that due to potential image resolution issues, “pore sizes of about 5-8 μm should be taken with some uncertainty.”

Fig. 5. Pore size measurement of 316L metallic powder

A histogram showed that, in the metallic powder particles, the “15 µm pore size was most present,” and that the largest was 30 µm.

Table 3. Measured values of porosity of powder particles

Finally, they used an optical method to measure and examine grain size distribution of the virgin and sifted powder. Using 200x magnification, measurements were taken at five random locations, each of which had roughly 200 particles on which they performed static analysis. The results were processed with statistical software, which created cumulative curves to indicate how many particles were smaller or larger than a certain size.

“Of these, the quantiles d10, d50 and d90 were obtained, which express the cut-off limit within which the size falls to 10, 50, 90 % of the measured particles,” they wrote.

The average particle size only increases a little by repeatedly sieving the metallic powder, but because of irregular particles, agglomerated or molten particles larger than 45 μm, they fall through the mesh. Results show that <10 µm particles are reduced, while larger particles are increased, in the sift powder. But, the team notes that the powder is still usable.

“The sift powder showed an increase in particle volume and surface area while circularity decreased, indicating that virgin powder generally has a higher sphericity,” the team explained.

They found defects like agglomeration, gas impurities, and particulate fusions at all three stages, but since the powder is still usable, they concluded that SLM is both an economic and ecological technology. The researchers listed several measures to take in order to “achieve the best possible consolidation,” such as high purity, fine surface, low internal porosity, tight particle distribution, and as few surface pores and satellites as possible.

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Texas A&M: A Method for 3D Printing Porosity Free Martensitic Steels

While seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels in 1912, British researcher Harry Brearley, who is commonly regarded as the inventor of stainless steel, discovered a martensitic stainless steel alloy. Although several variants of steel exist today, this type particularly stands out from its steel cousins as stronger and more cost-effective to produce. The renowned metallurgist probably never thought that his breakthrough discovery would go beyond developing affordable cutlery to the masses, well into applications in the aerospace, medical, automotive, and defense industries. Now over 100 years later, it can also be used as a metal 3D printing material for complex designs.

However, for these and other applications, the metals have to be built into complex structures with minimal loss of strength and durability, which is why researchers from Texas A&M University, in collaboration with scientists in the Air Force Research Laboratory, have developed guidelines that allow 3D printing of martensitic steels into very sturdy, defect-free objects of nearly any shape.

Reported in the scientific journal Acta Materialia, the findings of their study suggest that the process optimization framework introduced is expected to allow the successful printing of new materials in an accelerated fashion and introduces the process parameters for building porosity-free parts.

Although the procedure developed was initially for martensitic steels, the researchers said they have made their guidelines general enough so that the same 3D printing pipeline can be used to build intricate objects from other metals and alloys as well.

“Strong and tough steels have tremendous applications but the strongest ones are usually expensive — the one exception being martensitic steels that are relatively inexpensive, costing less than a dollar per pound,” said Ibrahim Karaman, Chevron Professor and head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M. “We have developed a framework so that 3D printing of these hard steels is possible into any desired geometry and the final object will be virtually defect-free.”

A flowchart summarizing the framework, introduced in this study (Credit: An ultra-high strength martensitic steel fabricated using selective laser melting additive manufacturing: Densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties)

The high-strength, lightweight, and cost-effective martensite steels are formed when steels are heated to extremely high temperatures and then rapidly cooled. The sudden cooling unnaturally confines carbon atoms within iron crystals, giving martensitic steel its signature strength.

Texas A&M claimed that to have diverse applications, martensitic steels, particularly a recently discovered type of low-alloy, ultra-high-strength martensitic steel known as AF9628, need to be assembled into objects of different shapes and sizes depending on the particular application they will be used for, and that’s when additive manufacturing (AM) offers a practical solution.

Stainless steels can be used to 3D print complex designs that are normally impossible to fulfill. 3D printing methods initially used by the team to build complex items were direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) aka selective laser melting (SLM) and also known as Powder Bed Fusion. However, Texas A&M researchers detected that 3D printing martensitic steels using lasers can introduce unintended defects in the form of pores within the material. Moreover, they detected that there is currently no known work describing process-structure-property relationships for AF9628 in the context of AM, something they considered should be systematically studied, focusing on the effects of AM process parameters on the microstructural evolution and resulting mechanical properties of this new martensitic steel.

“Porosities are tiny holes that can sharply reduce the strength of the final 3D printed object, even if the raw material used for 3D printing is very strong,” Karaman said. “To find practical applications for the new martensitic steel, we needed to go back to the drawing board and investigate which laser settings could prevent these defects.”

In an effort to produce high strength parts with a high degree of control over geometry, the researchers presented the effects of the SLM parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the new steel AF9628.

For their experiments, Karaman and his team first chose an existing mathematical model, called Eagar-Tsai, inspired from welding to predict the melt pool geometry, that is, how a single layer of martensitic steel powder would melt for different settings for laser speed and power. By comparing the type and number of defects they observed in a single track of melted powder with the model’s predictions, they were able to change their existing framework slightly so that subsequent predictions improved.

They claim that after a few of these iterations, their framework could correctly forecast, without needing additional experiments, if a new, untested set of laser settings would lead to defects in the martensitic steel.

Raiyan Seede, a graduate student in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M and the primary author of the study, explained that “testing the entire range of laser setting possibilities to evaluate which ones may lead to defects is extremely time-consuming, and at times, even impractical. By combining experiments and modeling, we were able to develop a simple, quick, step-by-step procedure that can be used to determine which setting would work best for 3D printing of martensitic steels.”

Seede also noted that although their guidelines were developed to ensure that martensitic steels can be printed devoid of deformities, their framework can be used to print with any other metal. He said this expanded application is because their framework can be adapted to match the observations from single-track experiments for any given metal.

“Although we started with a focus on 3D printing of martensitic steels, we have since created a more universal printing pipeline,” Karaman indicated. “Also, our guidelines simplify the art of 3D printing metals so that the final product is without porosities, which is an important development for all type of metal additive manufacturing industries that make parts as simple as screws to more complex ones like landing gears, gearboxes or turbines.”

Backscattered electron images of the etched cross-sections of AF9628 ultra-high strength martensitic steel as-printed cubes. The yellow dotted lines indicate melt pool boundaries (Credit: An ultra-high strength martensitic steel fabricated using selective laser melting additive manufacturing: Densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties)

This research, funded by the Army Research Office and the Air Force Research Laboratory, reports a successful methodology to determine optimal processing parameters, like laser power, laser scan speed, and hatch spacing, in selective laser melting AM in order to fabricate porosity-free parts.

The team of researchers effectively used it to fabricate fully dense samples over a wide range of process parameters, allowing the construction of an SLM processing map for the new martensitic steel alloy AF9628. Given the potential of this new high-performance steel, useful for machine tool components, structural components for aircraft gear, automotive parts, and even for ballistic armor plates, creating a new framework offers the potential to 3D print this new material much quicker, providing a powerful tool to many industries.

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3D Printing and COVID-19: Reusable Metal Filters Being Tested by ExOne

There is a flurry of industrial additive manufacturing (AM) activity in response to the medical supply shortages caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, with some work being directed toward what may be dead-end avenues and other generating some novel and interesting results. Among the more unique applications of AM to the production of medical supplies is an effort by ExOne to produce reusable metal filters for filtration masks and other equipment.

Most of the large 3D printing companies, including ExOne, have noted that their global supply chain clued them into the wide-ranging impact of the coronavirus outbreak early on, pushing them to consider the effects the disease would have both on manufacturing operations and medical supplies. ExOne CEO John Hartner told 3DPrint.com that this got the company thinking about its potential role in the supply chain.

A 3D-printed copper filter with a mask. Image courtesy of ExOne.

It was when the company recognized the medical waste accumulating as a result of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) that the company understood one area that it could provide its expertise. Multiple news stories have reported how discarded PPE could cause ecological damage. Hospitals in Wuhan have purportedly generated six times as much medical waste at the peak of the pandemic than normally used, with daily waste output reaching 240 metric tons.

Because ExOne already has customers who use the company’s metal binder jetting technology to create industrial filters, the company realized that it might be able to both ensure the availability of filtering face masks, like N95 respirators (for differences in medical mask types, read our article here), and limit medical waste. The company has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh to develop and test 3D-printed, reusable filters made from a variety of metal materials. These filters are autoclavable, meaning that they can be completely sterilized before reuse.

ExOne began with one particular mask and after performing sufficient testing internally, the company began conducting filtration testing with an agency that performs official testing for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standards. Initial results have been promising, pushing the partners to work with two local hospitals to set up clinical trials and begin the emergency approval process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Beyond the first mask model that the company is working with, ExOne is exploring other models from other manufacturers, as well as ventilator filters.

The use of metal binder jetting technology provides the benefit of being able to control the density of a part by way of powder particle size and level of sintering, which is what has drawn some of its customers to producing industrial filters, such as strainer plates. With Ansys, the company is able to run particle filtration simulation for the mask filters, which can then be controlled through the printing and sintering process. Hartner explained:

“It is amazing the detail [ANSYS has] in the calculation capability to look at different applications, different form factors, what flow rate is necessary, what filtration is necessary. Then, we just print and perform the appropriate level of sintering to get that porosity and that filter output.”

Due to fewer constraints related to particle size and energy source requirements (no lasers or electron beams), the process can also use a wider range of materials. In turn, ExOne is testing a variety of metals, including stainless steel and copper, both of which are widely used in the medical industry. Copper, in particular, has demonstrated value in the COVID crisis for its ability to kill roughly 96 to 99 percent of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on contact.

“We’re doing both stainless steel and copper at this point and we actually have other materials we’re testing, as well,” Hartner told 3DPrint.com. “Honestly, this project is evolving relevant to how this virus responds to different material sets. Copper is one that’s been identified as one of the better materials, which is why we moved from stainless steel to copper as another way to test the possibilities.”

Of course, it is too early to tell how many times a metal filter could be reused. One would assume that, at some point, they would need to be discarded. From its industrial customers, ExOne knows that filters for industrial applications can survive over a year in abrasive environments, suggesting that metal filters could substantially longer than traditional cloth filters. With ExOne estimating that filters would cost less than $20 per unit, they would quickly pay for themselves over the course of reuse while reducing hazardous medical waste.

3D-printed copper and stainless steel filters made by ExOne and the University of Pittsburgh.

Not only does the example presented here by ExOne demonstrate a more innovative response to medical supply shortages, but also new futures for medical supplies in general. While the current crisis will hopefully be drawn to something of a close at some point in the future, the problem of medical waste and waste in general will continue, necessitating more long-lasting items.

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3D Printing News Briefs: October 18, 2019

The stories we’re sharing in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs run the gamut from materials to new printers. Altair has launched its new industrial design solution, and Remet opened a metal 3D printing lab in Poland. Innofil3D is sharing lots of material news, and Equispheres has released the test results for a unique 3D printing powder. Finally, Hackaday published a micro 3D printer project.

Altair Launches New Industrial Design and Rendering Solution

The “Geko Ring Collection,” jewelry by Luca Palmini, designed and rendered with Inspire Studio. Image courtesy of Luca Palmini.

Global technology company Altair has launched Inspire Studio, its new 3D design and rendering solution, to help architects, designers, and digital artists create, evaluate, and visualize designs. The solution builds on the functions of Altair Evolve, and includes 3D rendering and animation software Inspire Render, which helps users rapidly generate photorealistic product renderings and animations. Both Inspire Studio and Inspire Render run on MacOS and Windows, and help designers open up their creativity to go beyond traditional CAID tools. The solutions will be introduced next month during a one-day launch event in Italy, and you can also get a free ticket to formnext 2019, where you can learn more about Inspire Studio and Inspire Render at Altair’s booth E11, hall 11.1.

“We are very pleased with these two new solutions for the global industrial design community. Inspire Studio builds on our previous industrial design tool, Evolve, while going beyond Evolve’s capabilities. Inspire Studio will enhance designers’ creativity by letting them drive their designs. It offers an intuitive user interface and a powerful construction history, allowing them to quickly create and explore multiple iterations of their design. Relying on the same modern user experience with powerful interactive, full progressive and raytracing rendering engine, Inspire Render will help designers quickly run photorealistic renderings and walkthrough animations on GPUs and CPUs,” said James Dagg, CTO at Altair.

3D Design and Rendering Software | Altair Inspire Studio

Remet Opens Modern Metal 3D Printing Laboratory

Polish steel structures manufacturer for the oil and gs mining industry, Remet, has launched a metal 3D printing laboratory equipped with a range of high quality machines and devices. The first of these is the DMP Flex 350 by 3D Systems, followed by 3D Systems’ Figure 4, the office-friendly metallic powder atomizer ATO Lab, and plenty of other specialized research equipment. Remet completed the project together with 3D Lab, a top Polish industrial 3D printer distributor and manufacturer of the ATO Lab.

The ATO Lab metal atomizer, which enables testing and fabrication of many powdered metal alloys, was the starting point for this unique laboratory. A new branch of the enterprise, called Remet Metal Labs, is where the company will work on comprehensive additive manufacturing and industrial applications projects. Its goal is to create highly flexible conditions for creating prototypes in the powder production field, and automotive, aviation, and space industry customers are invited to work with Remet to take advantage of the lab. 3D Lab and Remet will present their solutions together at formnext in Frankfurt next month.

Innofil3D Materials and Design Rules Video

This week, Innofil3D, and its parent company BASF, have a lot of news to share. First up, Ultrafuse BVOH, its water-soluble support filament, is now available for purchase, along with its new Ultrafuse 316L metal filament. Designed for easy FFF 3D printing, this is the company’s first metal material – 80% stainless steel with a 20% polymer content.

For users interested in 3D printing their Innofil3D PRO1 filament on a Raise3D printer, you can now join the Raise3D Open Filament Program to take advantage of optimized settings and print profiles. This new program is a collaboration between Raise3D and filament manufacturers, like Innofil3D, to find the top-performing materials for its 3D printers. Finally, Innofil3D has released its second video tutorial for design rules and principles of FFF 3D printing. Check out the video below, and be sure to visit BASF at its large K-Fair exhibit in Hall 5, C21/D21.

Equispheres Releases Test Results for Unique AM Powder

Materials science technology company Equispheres has released the results from its first powder testing phase, completed by a facility that certifies AM materials for applications in aerospace and defense. The results have confirmed that the powder has exceeded expectations, allowing for a 20-30% increase in mechanical performance and a 50% increase in production speeds. In light of this news, Equispheres is launching new equity financing in order to, as the company wrote in a press release, “grow and unlock the vast potential of Additive Manufacturing.”

“The unique properties of our powder, including the high sphericity, narrow particle size distribution and low surface area results in significantly increased packing density.  This allows an increase of powder layer thickness by a factor of 2 which significantly increases build speed. Most importantly, this boost to build speed does not come with a mechanical performance penalty.  Instead, the uniform nature of our powder ensures that parts are produced with reliable and consistent mechanical properties.  The minimal variance in our performance results provides design engineers the statistical confidence to produce stronger, lighter parts,” said Equispheres’ CTO, Dr Martin Conlon.

Hackaday Project: Micro Deltesian 3D Printer

A new Hackaday project by architect Ekaggrat Singh Kalsi was just published – a micro Deltesian 3D printer, which he says offers a quality that’s on par with any Cartesian 3D printer. The printer has a solid aluminum frame, with a standard slider Y axis and a Delta mechanism for the XZ axis. A 3.5″ LCD touchscreen, with a built-in SD card, is fast and easy enough for his young daughter to use, which was his ultimate goal. With an 80 x 100 x 85 mm build volume and a print bed held in place with magnets, the biggest challenge in making the minuscule 3D printer easy to use was the filament loading; Singh Kalsi used a lever-based latch mechanism for this.

“the micro deltesian was born out of the curiosity of building the convoluted deltesian mechanism,” he explained. “Later on it evolved into the idea of building a 3d printer simple enough to be used by my daughter. The deltesian mechanism seem very wierd when i first saw it but eventually i thought maybe i should give it a try and hence this printer was born.”

Watch the video below to see just how easily his daughter uses the micro Deltesian 3D printer:

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BASF Commercializing Metal-Polymer 3D Printing Composite Material with iGo3D, MatterHackers, and Ultimaker

BASF 3D Printing Solutions, a subsidiary of German chemical company BASF that’s focused entirely on 3D printing, has been working to build up its materials inventory over the past two years. In 2017, BASF formed a partnership with Essentium for the purposes of developing more robust FFF 3D printing materials. A new partnership focuses on the industrial Ultrafuse filament family, which includes extra-strong Ultrafuse Z for the desktop. Now, it’s introducing a new Ultrafuse material: Ultrafuse 316L metal-polymer composite.

“Ultrafuse 316L can, under certain conditions, be processed on any conventional, open-material FFF printer. Our goal was to develop a high-quality metal filament that makes the additive manufacturing of metal parts considerably easier, cheaper, faster, and accessible to everyone,” explained François Minec, Managing Director, BASF 3D Printing Solutions.

In the past, FFF was limited to just using thermoplastics. But BASF Ultrafuse 316L is a metal filament with polymer content, the latter of which acts as a binder during the printing process. The main polymer content, or primary binder, from the ‘green’ part is removed through catalytic debinding, which then results in the brown part of pure metal particles and the residual (secondary) binder. Industry-standard debinding and sintering processes take this secondary binder out of the brown part, while the metal particles combine. Post-sintering is when the material achieves its final hardness and strength properties – 316L stainless steel.

Ultrafuse 316L was specifically designed for safe, cost-effective printing of fully stainless steel objects on open FFF 3D printers for metal tooling, prototypes, and functional parts. Now, BASF has begun to commercialize the material with a trio of companies – professional desktop 3D printing solutions provider iGo3D, 3D printing retailer MatterHackers, and desktop 3D printing leader Ultimaker.

“In comparison to Metal Injection Molding (MIM), the Ultrafuse 316L offers an office-friendly solution, which opens new production opportunities. To reach the full potential of the metal filament and to ensure a solid start, it is necessary to understand that Ultrafuse 316L is not a conventional filament. Our goal is it to provide full service packages and support from the first request up to the finalized and sintered part, to implement metal 3D printing as a natural component in your manufacturing process,” said Athanassios Kotrotsios, the Managing Director of iGo3D.

The risk of defects is lower, and the success rate higher, when using Ultrafuse 316L due to the metal content being in the high 90% range, and an even distribution of metal in the binder matrix. In addition, the possible occupational and safety hazards that come with handling fine powders are significantly decreased with this material, because the metal particles are immobilized in the binder matrix.

“Ultrafuse 316L from BASF enables engineers and designers to produce true, pure, industrial grade metal parts easily and affordably using desktop 3D printers. This material is a significant technological advancement and truly a shift in how we describe what is possible with desktop 3D printers,” said Dave Gaylord, Head of Products for MatterHackers.

BASF’s Ultrafuse 316L – Metal filament for 3D printing stainless steel parts

The new Ultrafuse 316L metal composite filament is strong and flexible enough to be guided through complex material transport systems, and works with both Bowden and direct drive extruder types.

Paul Heiden, Senior Vice President Product Management for Ultimaker, said, “The Ultimaker S5 raises the bar for professional 3D printing by offering a hassle free 3D printing experience with industrial-grade materials. We are proud to announce that print profiles for Ultrafuse 316L will be added to the Ultimaker Marketplace. 3D printing professionals worldwide can then use FFF technology to produce functional metal parts at significantly reduced time and costs compared to traditional methods.”

BASF will provide 3D printer processing guidelines and parameter sets for Ultrafuse 316L, in addition to on-site support and consultancy to make sure that the material is performing up to snuff on your choice of FFF 3D printer. But if you’re interested in learning more about how to use the material now, you can check out this tutorial from MatterHackers about BASF’s new Ultrafuse 316L:

Metal polymer materials will let a lot more people 3D printing stronger materials. However, it has to be noted that a completely new geometry will most probably not work the first time with this process. Shrinkage rates in parts vary across wall thicknesses, part sizes and even geometries. During the sintering, process parts will tend to not shrink uniformly. The currentl limitation with Ultrafuse is therefore the same one that affects binder jetting with metals. For series of the same parts this is very interesting currently and it should be a solvable challenge to make shrinkage more predictable. But, the sheer data involved to predictably predict part outcomes at many geometries and do then in software predictively deform parts would be vast. So solvable, but still a difficult challenge to undertake for these partners and the industry as a whole.

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

[Images: BASF]

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3D Printing News Briefs: July 2nd, 2019

We’re talking partnerships and materials in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. The Alfa Romeo F1 team and Additive Industries are strengthening their technology partnership, while Beam-IT and SLM Solutions are expanding their own cooperation. Metallum3D just opened a new beta testing program for its stainless steel filament, while Zortrax and CRP Technology are both introducing new materials.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team and Additive Industries Strengthen Partnership

At the recent Rapid.Tech-Fabcon industrial 3D printing conference in Germany, Additive Industries announced that its current technology partnership with the F1 team of Alfa Romeo Racing would be growing stronger. The Sauber Engineering company, on behalf of Alfa Romeo Racing, has ordered an additional: 4-laser, multi-module MetalFAB1 Productivity System, bringing the total up to four systems and making it Additive Industries’ largest customer with a high-productivity metal 3D printing capacity.

Our installed base is growing fast, not only with new customers in our core markets like aerospace and the automotive industry but also through existing customers like Sauber Engineering, who are advancing to become one of the leading companies in industrial 3D printing in Europe, ramping up production,” stated Daan Kersten, the CEO of Additive Industries. “Although most users of metal additive manufacturing are still applying prototyping systems, we see an increasing number of companies concluding they need dedicated systems for series production. Our modular MetalFAB1 family is the only proven system on the market today designed for this use. We are grateful and proud to be technology partner to Sauber Engineering and the F1 team of Alfa Romeo Racing.”

Beam-IT and SLM Solutions Sign Expanded Agreement

M.Sc.Eng. Martina Riccio, AM Process Leader of Beam-IT and technical team

Italian 3D printing service bureau Beam-IT and metal 3D printing provider SLM Solutions have signed an agreement, which will expand their current long-term cooperation. Together in a joint venture project, the two will work to develop more material parameters – focusing on certain material properties – for the nickel-based alloys IN939 and IN718; this process will help create a less lengthy timeframe in terms of parameter testing. Additionally, Beam-IT has added two new SLM 3D printers to its product portfolio: an SLM 280 and an SLM 500.

 

 

 

“We are pleased to announce our cooperation agreement with SLM Solutions and the two additional machines,” said Michele Antolotti, the General Manager of Beam-IT. “We regularly produce high-quality parts for our customers using selective laser melting because the SLM ® technology works efficiently, quickly and, above all, safely. With the expanded capacity of our new multi-laser systems we can also increase our productivity and react to the increased interest in SLM ® technology from our customers.”

Metallum3D Opens Stainless Steel Filament Beta Testing Program

Virginia-based company Metallum3D announced that it has opened a beta test program for its stainless steel 316L 3D printing filament. This new program will support the company in its development of an affordable and accessible on-demand metal 3D platform for FFF 3D printers. The Filament Beta Test Program is open until July 31st, 2019, and a limited run of 150 0.5 kg spools of Metallum3D’s stainless steel 316L filament will be offered for a discounted price on a first come, first serve basis.

Nelson Zambrana, the CEO of Metallum3D, said, “Our 1.75mm Stainless Steel 316L filament material has a metal content of 91.7% by weight or 61.5% by volume, while maintaining enough flexibility for a minimum bend diameter of 95 mm (3.75 in.). The combination of high metal loading and filament flexibility was a tough material development challenge that took us over a year to solve.”

Zortrax Introducing Biocompatible Resins for Inkspire 3D Printer

Last year, Polish 3D printing solutions provider Zortrax developed the Inkspire, its first resin 3D printer. The Inkspire uses UV LCD technology to create small and precise models for the architecture, jewelry, and medical industries. With this in mind, the company is now introducing its specialized biocompatible resins that have been optimized for the Inkspire to make end use models in dentistry and prosthetics.

The new class IIa biocompatible Raydent Crown & Bridge resin is used for 3D printing temporary crowns and bridges, and is available in in an A2 shade (beige), with high abrasion resistance for permanent smooth surfaces. Class I biocompatible Raydent Surgical Guide resin for precise prosthetic surgical guides  is safe for transient contact with human tissue, and offers translucency and high dimensional accuracy. With these new materials, the Zortrax Inkspire can now be used by prosthetic laboratories for prototyping and final intraoral product fabrication.

CRP Technology Welcomes New Flame Retardant Material

Functional air conditioning piping made with LS technology and Windform FR1

In April, Italy-based CRP Technology introduced its Windform P-LINE material for for high-speed, production-grade 3D printing. Now, it’s officially welcoming another new material to its polyamide composite family – Windform FR1, the first carbon-filled flame-retardant laser sintering material to be rated V-0. The material is from the Windform TOP-LINE family, and passed the FAR 25.853 12-second vertical, the 15-second horizontal flammability tests, and the 45° Bunsen burner test. The lightweight, halogen-free material combines excellent stiffness with superior mechanical properties, and is a great choice for applications in aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, and electronics.

“Only a few days from the launch of a new range of Windform® materials, the P-LINE for HSS technology, I’m very proud to launch a new revolutionary composite material from the Windform® TOP-LINE family of materials for Laser Sintering technology,” said Franco Cevolini, VP and CTO at CRP Technology. “Our aim is to constantly produce technological breakthroughs. With Windform® FR1 we can steer you toward the proper solution for your projects.

“We will not stop here, we will continue our work on renewal and technological expansion in the field of Additive Manufacturing. Stay tuned!”

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Researchers Study the Dynamics of Powder Spreading in 3D Printing

Many things affect the quality of a finished 3D printed part, and in powder-based 3D printing, the spreading of the powder is a key step in determining how well the part will come out. In a study entitled “Revealing particle-scale powder spreading dynamics in powder-bed-based additive manufacturing processes by high-speed x-ray imaging,” a group of researchers studies the particle-scale dynamics of the powder spreading by using in situ high-speed high-energy x-ray imaging.

The researchers developed an experimental method in which they used high-speed high-energy x-ray imaging to characterize the powder spreading process with high spatial and temporal resolution and study the particle scale spreading process in-situ. With this method, they revealed the evolution of the repose angle, the slope surface flow speed, and slope surface roughness during the powder spreading process.

“We observed and analyzed the evolution and flow of two different types of powder clusters on the slope surface, and closely examined the particles that formed such clusters,” the researchers state. “We analyzed the dynamic interaction of individual particles with their respective boundaries and calculated coefficients of friction between the powders and boundaries.”

They developed a powder spreading system to simulate the spreading process under additive manufacturing configurations. The system consisted of a spreading structure (wiper and confinement walls) and a powder bed container. The wiper was made from an aluminum blade that was perpendicular to the powder bed substrate. Confinement walls, designed to keep the powder inside the spreading system, were made from high-density graphite and attached to either side of the blade.

“Powders are spread by an aluminum wiper (blade) at a spreading speed of 11.5 mm/s on an aluminum substrate,” the researchers explain. “As the powder is spread, an x-ray beam passes through the powder bed, and the x-ray signal is recorded by a detection system. The exposure time is 500 ns. A camera is set to record at a speed of 10,000 frames per second and an analysis of the images is done using the Image9.”

They used two different diameters of 316 L stainless steel powder. Eight samples were extracted and analyzed for each type of powder; the samples were carefully spread over a glass substrate and then images were obtained using an optical microscope.

Several conclusions were reached by the experiment:

  • The average powder size is an important parameter that affects powder flow dynamics during the spreading process. The powder with a larger average diameter showed a higher average dynamic repose angle, as well as a higher average surface flow speed, than the powder with a smaller average diameter.
  • Powder clusters affect powder spreading behavior. The powder clusters could not easily flow through the slope surface.
  • Interactions of powders with boundaries were characterized and the coefficients of friction were calculated. The calculated kinetic coefficients of friction were 0.25 for particles moving over an aluminum substrate, and 0.18 for particles moving over a high density graphite surface.

“The particle-scale powder spreading dynamics revealed are important for understanding powder spreading behavior in the powder-bed-based additive manufacturing process,” the researchers conclude. “This is critical for the development and validation of more accurate models for predicting powder spreading behavior.”

Authors of the paper include Luis I. Escano, Niranjan D. Parab, Lianghua Xiong, Qilin Guo, Cang Zhao, Kamel Fezzaa, Wes Everhart, Tao Sun and Lianyi Chen.

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Xjet Opens Additive Manufacturing Center Gives Details on Nanoparticle Jetting 3D Printing We Interview CEO Hanan Gothait

316L Stainless Steel part

A number of journalists and partners have been taken on a whirlwind tour of Israel by Xjet. The ceramics and metal printing company wanted to show us their homeland as well as their new Carmel 1400 AM System and the opening of their Additive Manufacturing Center was the occasion. We stay in Tel Aviv amidst gleaming towers, bustling sidewalk cafes, markets and an impossible number of young people zooming by on electric scooters. A passionate tour guide extols the virtues of the land and her people as our bus drives to Rehovot.

3D Printed Xjet Ceramics

The Carmel 1400 has a 500 by 140 by 200 mm build volume, 10 to 15 micron layer thickness and ways two and three-quarter tonnes. That’s almost two Toyotas. The printer is capable of printing zirconia parts with features of a 100 microns at 1 mm per hour build speed at a part density of 99.95%. The Zirconia Zr02 comes with a support material that let one have a high degree of geometric freedom with this technical ceramic. Part shrinkage is uniform in every direction and predictable. Another new material is Stainless Steel, 316L. Both support and build material are supplied in cartridges in a liquid suspension form.

316L Stainless Steel parts no post-processing apart from support removal and sintering.

Xjet’s technology NanoParticle Jetting has been designed as an inkjet-based technology to make parts at high volume and througput. The nanoparticle build material is then jetted with both support and build material to be jetted simultaneously. The liquid suspension that contains the nanoparticles then evaporates due to a heated chamber. Then parts are sintered, and support is removed. Support is soluble and is dissolved in a solvent bath.

Xjet’s Material Cartridges

Various 3D Printed Xjet Parts

The crowd at the speeches.

Xjet is a product of a number of industry veterans in inkjet, some of whom played pioneering roles in creating Objet Polyjet, the Stratasys inkjet technology. The team and the machine are impressive as well. Their ambition complements this with a sated claim to move into metals and ceramics printing for production. Ceramics 3D printing so far has been limited in build volume and throughput. You could print technical ceramics but could not make thousands of Zirconium parts per day.

This is precisely what companies want to do with the materials, however. Extremely high wear parts with extremely high-temperature and abrasion resistance are used widely in industry. Nozzles, high wear machinery surfaces, medical components, teeth, and other dental replacements are all candidates for Zirconium parts. As for stainless steel, that application area is much much broader, but that would have to be determined at a later date. The stainless materials would depend much more on the cost to be viable. There are also several metal printing technologies that could make them.

We are lead into a meeting room and listened to some presentations. Xjet founder Hanan Gothait told us to “enjoy the future of 3D metal and ceramics.” He was proud of the Xjet team completed the project on time and on budget. He also said that “Additive Manufacturing is moving from theory to real, ideas to products, prototypes to real parts.” He also mentioned that “the metal 3D printing, “market is boiling, and we are ready to deliver.” Next Professor Oded Shoseyov gave a presentation detailing his attempts to make a collagen replacement through getting tobacco plants to grow collagen using expressions of five human genes. He is also working on Nanocellulose as a biological additive with a wide array of applications in material science. Perry Davidson the CEO of SyQue an innovative metered dose marijuana and other botanicals inhaler then took us on a fascinating journey to see how their company used 3D printing. Mr. Andreas Berkau of engineering company Oerlikon then explained to us that “Xjet is a truly disruptive technology” and that the future of 3D printing is in “closed value chains” that have “systems beginning to end” and have “whole ecosystems for additive manufacturing.” Dror Danai Xjet’s Chief Business Officer then went on to also talk how important the Xjet team is while decrying the powder bed fusion systems. Dror believes that liquids can provide much better results than traditional powder bed systems. He mentions that powder bed fusion parts are typically limited to 50 micron parts while in the lab Xjet has printed 10 nanometer particles. He stated that the “Digital manufacturing dream vanishes” with post-processing. Manual post-processing slows part production and increases costs significantly. With Xjet’s easier post-processing using soluble support parts will be a fit for manufacturing.

Xjet CEO Hanan and Formnext VP Sacha Wenzler

We then as a group of over a hundred descend to wait before the Xjet Application center. Sacha Wenzler of Formnext opens it. Once open we can find operational Carmel 1400 Xjet systems. We are shown highly accurate and very smooth metal and ceramics parts as well as the support removal process. The machines look very complicated indeed. They hum and with a swoosh deposit every new layer from two mixing jars, one for support and one for build material. The machines are big beasts of things and dutifully lay down each layer in turn.

The Xjet Additive Manufacturing Center

Later on, we will go on to see where the Xjet systems are assembled. There whale carcasses lie of machines that will be made as well as nearly finished systems for Oerlikon, Carfulan and the University of Delaware. Larry Holmes of the University of Delaware poses for the machine his university will receive. Then we head off with dervish-like speed for a tour of Jerusalem. All in all, it was a lovely trip and an excellent chance to have a lot of in-depth contact with the Xjet team. The team are all very open and responded to in-depth technical questions with deep understanding.

3DPrint.com got the chance to interview Xjet CEO and founder Hanan Gothait. He told us that

“The significance of Xjet is that is is a new and innovative powderless nanoparticle inkjet technology which is safe, easy to use and gives you totally accurate parts with smooth surfaces. Everyone is using 50 micron layer thickness and we are using 7 micron layers which leads to better surface quality. In addition we have fine features that no one else can do. Support material is also a different material which can be removed by immersing the part in water. This dissolvable support means that you can make more complex geometries in metal. The big breakthrough is to make 3D printing for ceramics and metals safe and simple while making support easy to remove.”

He also stated that,

“The fine particles we use also create high-resolution parts while simplicity means that you don’t need to be a Ph.D. to operate the machine.” 

and that,

“Medical devices, dental, industrial companies, automotive and aerospace companies are already customers. We want to partner with customers and help them grow.”

Hanan has a multi-decade in 3D printing starting with his founding of Objet, now a Stratasys unit. Since then..

“In the Objet days no one spoke of manufacturing, the dream was to become a prototype supplier. Still today most of the market is prototyping but we are targeting production now and we see ourselves as one of the leaders.” 

This is a company steeped in inkjet and 3D printing. Compared to a lot of US-based startups this company has many people with ten of twenty years experience in 3D printing. Dozens more have decades of experience in inkjet. As we pass by the Intel Fab and large HP Indigo buildings where printers and inks are made we can see that near the Xjet assembly location there is a vast inkjet ecosystem. Sitting in the middle of this ecosystem, Xjet has access to a very deep and very experienced talent pool of people. Where a US based start usually throws a bunch of very bright kids at the problem, Xjet has dozens of employees who have seen this problem before and also has the bright kids as well. Especially the deep involvement with originating the Polyjet technology is a massive plus for the Xjet team. At one point Objet was nearly dead because an engineering team had not managed to turn a slick idea into a working machine and software combination. Resolute management steps and a re-engineering of the system brought the easiest to use and slickest software, materials and machine combo of the day. This kind of sophisticated engineering approach and the skills needed for it are vital to producing high-quality 3D printers. It is easy to make 3D printers and very difficult to make good 3D printers. By understanding the need to know how the complex interplay of software settings and materials interact to form the part high-quality machines can be crafted. It is not the highly detailed parts or the engineering in the machine that inspires confidence but rather the paths that the team has taken to get here. By focusing on ceramics and trying to create a highly productive solution to manufacture them Xjet has taken an interesting turn towards the future of 3D printing. A segway to metal parts could also deliver a lot of value to customers as could an investment in BMG’s or 3D printed circuits. For now, 3D printing ceramics at volume is a tremendous opportunity. If done well this is precisely the kind of technology and part that could widely expand the scope of the possible in 3D printing and Xjet may just be the company to make that happen.

Two French Companies Collaborate to Make the Country’s First 3D Printed Mechanical Metal Watch

While there are those who have used 3D printing to make their own watch cases, watch bands, and watch chargers, others have taken the next step and actually made 3D printed watches, from kid-friendly to sophisticated, wooden to gold and plastic, and even timepieces that can tell you if you’ve had a little too much to drink. For years, I rocked the same black, Velcro, digital sports wristwatch every single day. Looking back at old photos, it was definitely functional, but not at all attractive. My friends joked that they would have to pry it off my wrist on my wedding day…which they did not, I might add. I decided on my own that a watch with a Velcro band and light-up screen didn’t really say ‘elegant winter wedding.’

But a new 3D printed watch that’s the result of a collaboration between French special metals distributor STAINLESS and watchmaking company UTINAM Besançon might be the perfect accessory for a fancy event.

“…we worked in 2018 with a well-known French watchmaker, Mr Philippe LEBRU (who built giant clocks in France, Switzerland and Japan) to build the first watch developed for metallic additive manufacturing,” Jean-Baptiste Sepulchre, the Marketing and Communication Officer for STAINLESS, told 3DPrint.com. “This project is our way to celebrate our 90th birthday, STAINLESS having been created in 1928.”

[Image: STAINLESS]

The timepiece, conceived of and assembled at French watchmaking capital Besançon, is said to be the first automatic, mechanical 3D printed watch made in France. The two project partners are both well-known for their technical expertise and reliability: UTINAM Besançon was founded by monumental clock and original watch creator Lebru, as mentioned above, and STAINLESS distributes special metals to demanding industries, like aerospace and medical.

[Image: L’Est Républicain/Ludovic Laude]

The two companies were committed to having as many of the watch components as possible manufactured within the boundaries of Franche-Comté, a traditional province in eastern France; one of the only exceptions was the Japanese timing mechanism. A 100-year-old factory in Morteau made the watch hands, and a craftsman from Besançon created the hand-sewn, genuine leather bracelet.

The watch case was entirely 3D printed, using laser melting technology, out of stainless steel 316L powder on a Renishaw AM250. Apprentices from the Besançon training center at the UIMM “Creativ Lab” 3D printed the case.

The project came about from a STAINLESS initiative to showcase its values in honor of its 90 years in business. To do so, STAINLESS wanted to complete a project that was regional, innovative, and historic, and reached out to Lebru with a proposition to combine their separate expertise on a collaborative piece.

The collaboration itself can be considered something of an innovation, given that both participants focus on very different end products: Lebru and UTINAM Besançon designs and manufactures original watches and clocks, while STAINLESS supplies raw metal materials, including metallic powder for 3D printing.

Joëlle Verdier, STAINLESS president, and Philippe Lebru, UTINAM Besançon watchmaker [Image: STAINLESS]

But because both of the companies were open-minded, they were able to get past the typical relationship between customers and suppliers and transcend to one based on, as STAINLESS put it in a press release, “mutual confidence and trust,” which resulted in a lovely, 3D printed metal watch.

At last month’s MICRONORA Exhibition in Besançon, STAINLESS displayed the 3D printed watch at its stand. Starting at the end of the year, it will be on sale at the UTINAM Besancon boutique, which is opposite the Musée du Temps.

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3D Printing News Briefs: September 29, 2018

We’ve got some 3D printing event news to share with you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, along with some business news and a story about a cool 3D printed container. At the TCT Show this week, Additive Industries announced a partnership with Laser Lines, and DEVELOP3D Magazine will soon celebrate product design and metal 3D printing at a live event. CRP Technology has created an updated 3D printed fairing for the Energica Ego Corsa superbike, and employees at the GE Additive Customer Experience Center in Munich made a 3D printed beer krug just in time for Oktoberest.

Additive Industries Partnering with Laser Lines

L-R: Mark Beard, General Manager UK, Additive Industries; Mark Tyrtania, Sales Director, Laser Lines; Daan Kersten, CEO, Additive Industries; and Phil Craxford, Sales Manager, Laser Lines

At the opening of the TCT Show, which took place in Birmingham earlier this week, Additive Industries announced a new partnership with Laser Lines Ltd. in order to speed up its 3D printing presence in the UK and Ireland. Laser Lines is a UK supplier of 3D printers, 3D scanning equipment, lasers, and related accessories, and will work together with Additive Industries to help grow the maturing market in the UK and Ireland for industrial 3D printers. Laser Lines will support Additive Industries in its work to further develop the industrial market for various applications in the aerospace, automotive, machine building, and medical sectors.

“With the recently announced expansion to the UK with a dedicated Process & Application Development Centre, we already acknowledge that the UK & Ireland is an important market that provides great opportunities for industrial companies to enter into industrial metal additive manufacturing,” said Daan Kersten, the CEO of Additive Industries. “With Laser Lines Ltd we add an experienced partner to our fast growing worldwide network that will work with us to identify and manage these opportunities that will contribute to our execution of our accelerated growth.”

DEVELOP3D Magazine Holding Live Event

Each year, DEVELOP3D, a monthly print and digital design journal, holds a live US event all about product design. This year’s DEVELOP3D Live event will be held this coming Tuesday, October 2nd, from 8 am – 6:30 pm at Boston University.

“We have some really fascinating folks coming to celebrate product design in the 21st Century,” Martyn Day from X3D Media, which runs DEVELOP3D, told 3DPrint.com. “We are especially pleased to have Ti Chang from Crave, Tatjana Dzambazova from new metals 3D printing company Velo3D and Olympian, Jon Owen from Team USA Luge.

“Our day is split with MainStage presentations from designers and the industry, together with a track dedicated to Additive Manufacturing, with all the latest in metals 3D printing.”

Tickets are just $50, and include full access to the conference and all 30 exhibitors, plus refreshments, lunch, and drinks at a social mixer. There will be 20 speakers presenting in two separate streams, and topics include CAD, topology optimization, 3D printing, virtual reality, and product development.

3D Printed Fairing for Ego Corsa

Together, Italy-based CRP Group and its subsidiary Energica have been using 3D printing and Windform materials to develop components for electric motorcycles and superbikes for a few years now. In April, the Ego Corsa electric motorcycle completed its third demo lap, and at the last series of road tests before the first edition of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the 2019 2019 Ego Corsa prototype hit the track with a new 3D printed fairing, manufacturing by CRP Technology with its laser sintering technology and Windform XT 2.0 Carbon-fiber reinforced composite material. The 3D printed fairing update has improved the Ego Corsa’s aerodynamics.

“We have had the fairing available in short time. Thanks to the professional 3D printing and CRP Technology’s Windform composite materials, it is possible to modify motorcycle components – even large ones – from one race to the next ones, in order to test different solutions directly on the track,” said the Energica technical staff.

“This fairing is not only more aerodynamic, but it also has a smaller frontal and lateral section. These improvements led to achieve increase in terms of performance and they led to achieve greater manageability in fast corners.

“The Windform XT 2.0 has once again proved to be a high performance composite material. We are very happy how the 3D printed new fairing behaved during the tests.”

GE Additive 3D Prints Metal Beer Stein

Even though the month of October doesn’t start for another few days, Oktoberfest itself officially kicked off last Saturday in Germany. In order to celebrate the occasion, the AddWorks team at the GE Additive Customer Experience Center in Munich, which opened last winter, decided to take another look at the traditional glass beer krug; what we’d call a pitcher or stein in the US.

The unfortunate thing about glass is that it breaks. Obviously, if you’ve enjoyed too much beer at an event like Oktoberfest, the likelihood of breaking your glass drink container goes way up. So AddWorks decided to create a new prototype beer krug, but instead of using glass, they 3D printed it using a combination of stainless steel and titanium…and the result is pretty impressive.

Take a look at the video below, which stars the head of the Munich CEC (Matthew Beaumont), to see the whole process:

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