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100x Faster, 10x Cheaper: 3D Metal Printing Is About To Go Mainstream (newatlas.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the mass-producing-with-metal dept.

Big Hairy Ian shares an article from New Atlas: Desktop Metal -- remember the name. This Massachussetts company is preparing to turn manufacturing on its head, with a 3D metal printing system that's so much faster, safer and cheaper than existing systems that it's going to compete with traditional mass manufacturing processes... Plenty of design studios and even home users run desktop printers, but the only affordable printing materials are cheap ABS plastics. And at the other end of the market, while organizations like NASA and Boeing are getting valuable use out of laser-melted metal printing, it's a very slow and expensive process that doesn't seem to scale well.

But a very exciting company out of Massachusetts, headed by some of the guys who came up with the idea of additive manufacture in the first place, believes it's got the technology and the machinery to boost 3D printing into the big time, for real. Desktop Metal is an engineering-driven startup whose founders include several MIT professors, and Emanuel Sachs, who has patents in 3D printing dating back to the dawn of the field in 1989. The company has raised a ton of money in the last few months, including some US$115 million in a recent Series D round that brings total equity investments up over US$210 million. That money has come from big players, too, including Google Ventures... And if Desktop Metal delivers on its promises -- that it can make reliable metal printing up to 100 times faster, with 10 times cheaper initial costs and 20 times cheaper materials costs than existing laser technologies, using a much wider range of alloys -- these machines might be the tipping point for large scale 3D manufacturing.

78 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. I get immediately suspicicious when... by Nutria · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I see things like this written: The company has raised a ton of money in the last few months, including some US$115 million in a recent Series D round that brings total equity investments up over US$210 million.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by cunina · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Also when an article repeatedly claims "this isn't hype" yet is written in breathless promotional style.

    2. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by avandesande · · Score: 1

      What's the issue? They give actual figures which would land them in hot water if they are false.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    3. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by Nutria · · Score: 4

      You should be old enough to have seen so many companies that get huge up-front investments, have snazzy demos and then fail to perform up to the hype.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    4. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Right. Because promises of a cost advantages of a couple factors over existing products in a rapidly advancing field are so sexy and an easy way to defraud investors. This isn't zero point energy for fuckssake.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    5. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by avandesande · · Score: 1

      They tell you exactly the volume of one of their manufacturing systems, 500 CI per hour. Obviously they are talking about small parts and not diesel tractor transmission cases.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    6. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by Nutria · · Score: 1

      promises of a cost advantages of a couple factors over existing products in a rapidly advancing field are so sexy and an easy way to defraud investors.

      Well, they are "sexy" in Silly Valley.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    7. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      Which figures would land them in hot water?

      None of them. If you scan a "bullshit meter" over TFA, it will beep and report that not a single statement is attributed to anyone. TFA doesn't contain a single quote. Everything in it is plausibly deniable.

      The current investors are VCs and PEs, who are, at least in theory, sophisticated investors expected to do their own due diligence. They would have a hard time credibly arguing in court that they were swindled out of millions by a blog.

    8. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      No shit. I'm being reminded of the Magic Leap hype.

    9. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by rtb61 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      At a guess what they are trying to achieve is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.... Clean metal particles being bonded together naturally. The trick of course how to keep them apart when you want to keep them apart. A solvent that prevents bonding and is vacuum stripped away as the fluid with metal in suspension is sprayed or rolled (photo copier style magnetic pick up and deposition) onto the target surface, electro statically charging the metal particles to repel each other, interesting problem. Cold welding only when you want to cold weld.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    10. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Odd, I don't get skeptical unless they're asking ME to invest. It doesn't cost me anything to think where this might go, and I find the process enjoyable.

      Now if I were going to make an action based on this, then that would be a different matter. But I've gotten mildly enthusiastic about loads of things dating back to the Astounding Science Fiction "Dean Drive" article. It's been enjoyable, and cheaper than most entertainment.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    11. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by mwvdlee · · Score: 2

      It's Trumpisms all over.

      "remember the name".
      "so much faster".
      "a very exciting company".
      "boost [...] into the big time, for real".

      Is this the new marketing? Written for people you have to spell things out for?

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    12. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by Nutria · · Score: 1

      Except that I remember these kinds of claims being made 35 years ago in Silicon Valley.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    13. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by BoRegardless · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As an engineer, I have deep suspicions when 'better' RP machine press articles don't have a single reference to accuracy or tolerances. That usually means they are still trying to improve the technology and don't want to get caught in a lie.

    14. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by rickb928 · · Score: 1

      If this works as it looks to the problems will be shrinkage during fusing, material differences and so the need to calibrate for given material, and of course wear and tear.

      This is all solvable. FDM machines do this already. If you need truly fine tolerances, some of your parts may need precise machining, and still that's likely faster and cheaper than trying to machine or cast something intricate. For prototyping, this promising. When costs dive down, it makes for useful one-off parts, and the collectible car industry will be pretty giddy.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
    15. Re:I get immediately suspicicious when... by superdave80 · · Score: 1

      No, this isn't a cold welding operation. It is a sintering operation, where the metal is heated to just below it's melting point so that the particles will fuse together, but still maintain nearly the same shape as the original part (with some shrinkage).

  2. Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by Reaperducer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Translated: "Step right up, folks, and buy some stock! You want to be a part of this miracle company that's going to change everything forever! We're buzzword compliant and going to revolutionize the world, just like every other company that's come before us! How are we different? We managed to get through the outsourced overseas /. BS filter with our astroturf advertisement! So, step right up and have a swig of tonic!"

    --
    -- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
    1. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by avandesande · · Score: 2

      Right. Go look at their website and tell me this is a fake company. I don't see anywhere where they are soliciting investors. BTW Massachusetts is not a state I would want to be and get charged with fraud....
      I realize this was on a stupid tech zine but even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    2. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by Philemon · · Score: 2

      "And if Desktop Metal delivers on its promises .... these machines might be the tipping point for large scale 3D manufacturing."

      Say no more..

    3. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by avandesande · · Score: 1

      There are production parts manufactured on 3d lathes, you can see it on youtube if you like. How is this different?

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by sheramil · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There are production parts manufactured on 3d lathes, you can see it on youtube if you like. How is this different?

      A milling or lathing machine starts with a block of stuff and carves away anything that isn't needed, producing a part and a bunch of shavings (called "scurf"). This system is additive; it starts with nothing and adds stuff until you've got a part.

    5. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by avandesande · · Score: 1

      My point was that this would fill a similar niche for small medium volume parts with a similar cost model. Of course it's a different method.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    6. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by dbIII · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There's shapes you can't make on a lathe or mill since you've got to hold onto something and can't get to the inside.
      Also this is an additive process which can be nice with expensive material. Instead of throwing away most of a block of material you build it up out of powder.
      Another thing is that this might actually be cheaper than machining for some very hard to machine materials.

      I don't see this as being useful for everything but instead really useful in a few situations.
      If this takes off as a hobby early adopters should not that you do not want the powder in your lungs and do not want the fumes from the burning organic additives there either - face masks and some sort of fume extraction should be used. It doesn't need to be expensive, take a look at what some hobby woodworkers do for dust extraction and that's going to get enough air moving to take care of a lot of fumes as well.

    7. Re: Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Swarf

    8. Re: Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by Elfich47 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yes, but the retooling time to produce a different part takes time and re-calibration. Assuming this machine works as advertised (and the team behind it has an impressive list of credentials), then it will outright slay previous casting processes because the retooling time is now negligible. Hell, each run could be twenty or thirty different parts out of a specific assembly.

      --
      Architectural plans are like computer source code with a couple of differences: You only compile once.
    9. Re: Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by ThosLives · · Score: 1

      This depends highly on the complexity and type of part. A vehicle body panel - additive manufacturing will never beat the cycle time of a press. A complex turbine blade - yeah, 3D printing is going to be competitive.

      I think some of the skepticism of "3D printing" is that much of the stuff we see in the press is that it's going to replace all manufacturing, which just isn't the case.

      Don't forget the other tradeoffs associated with "easy to make custom parts" - this means the engineering rigor associated with each custom part is going to be more expensive (per part) than for mass-produced items. Either that or we'll just get a lot of custom or low-volume parts with really low quality: quality isn't just from the manufacturing technique - if you print a poorly designed part perfectly, you still have a low-quality part!

      --
      "There are a dozen opinions on a matter until you know the truth. Then there is only one." - CS Lewis (paraprhase)
    10. Re:Walks like an ad... Talks like an ad... by Bearhouse · · Score: 1

      You're right...except it's called "swarf".
      Takes time and effort to remove materiels - rather than adding - and you have other issues such as work-hardening & stressing the piece.
      Plus swarf is a bitch - sharp and dangerous and hard to recycle unless you're always working the same alloy on the machine.

  3. Not that tough. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They use regular, low-cost, easily available MIM powders.

    This press release is overstating the toughness of the things this can produce. You won't be making transmission parts or turbofan blades that will last very long if at all.

    1. Re:Not that tough. by toonces33 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Basic metallurgy. Metals have a crystalline structure - things like turbofan blades are oftentimes carefully cast so they are one single crystal, and they do this to maximize strength. The grain boundaries are places where the metal is weaker, and where it is more likely to fail. I don't know the metallic properties of the supposed 3d-printed metals - if they are just sputtering tiny metal blobs, you are probably going to end up with a metallic glass, which won't be very strong at all.

    2. Re: Not that tough. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm waiting for 3D printed wooden blocks.

    3. Re:Not that tough. by avandesande · · Score: 1

      For most metals the larger the grain size the softer the part is- that's why people anneal metals to soften them. If the parts are as about as tough as cast they will have plenty of applications.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re: Not that tough. by avandesande · · Score: 1

      ... or blacksmith hammer

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    5. Re:Not that tough. by Nutria · · Score: 3, Interesting

      To be honest, not every part needs to be as strong as a turbofan blade.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    6. Re:Not that tough. by HiThere · · Score: 1

      That sounds plausible. Cold welds usually aren't very strong. But perhaps you could heat it afterwards? You wouldn't want to get it up to the point where it started deforming, but holding it just below that for a day or so might make it a lot stronger.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    7. Re:Not that tough. by dbIII · · Score: 1

      A couple of minor things
      First, metallic glass is usually extremely strong but it's not really relevant here because it's not trivial to make.
      Second, Rolls Royce and others have some secondary turbines made entirely from metal powder (I didn't know either until one was in the news after failing spectacularly in an Airbus a few years ago). They are using a hot isostatic press method which is a bit different to what is in the article but it's possible that laser sintering could end up with close enough to the same properties.

    8. Re:Not that tough. by mnemotronic · · Score: 1

      ... you are probably going to end up with a metallic glass, which won't be very strong at all.

      It's more like a metallic cornbread.

      This technology has been around for years in the rotating rust mass storage game (i.e. disk drives). A major problem (glossed over on the web site and not mentioned at all in the video) is that the parts shrink and warp when baked (sintered), and not always consistently or in an linear predictable manner. The parts would still need machining to true up any surfaces where precise alignment or fit was required. The resulting part is less dense and lacks the metallic structural advantages as a forged or machined piece. OTOH, the parts are lighter which is nice in some situations. The acoustic signature and resonance characteristics are entirely different than a solid part which, in the proper context, can be a major advantage.

      --
      The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
    9. Re:Not that tough. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      So it's completely useless because you can't use it to make 0.001% of specialty components that have only existed for the past thirty years or so? (By the way, what am I supposed to make of this, then?)

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    10. Re:Not that tough. by K10W · · Score: 1

      That sounds plausible. Cold welds usually aren't very strong. But perhaps you could heat it afterwards? You wouldn't want to get it up to the point where it started deforming, but holding it just below that for a day or so might make it a lot stronger.

      kind of defeats the point as that would be even more specialist gear to get those temps and out of the scope of most people interested in operating these. I wish there would be easy 3d printing for usable types of metal but seems buying bar stock and a cnc machine is still the best way for most folks to get that function. I don't have cnc rig due to cost and size so resort to hand working everything. In fact from that PoV zamak casting gear is probably easier and cheaper to use than what 3d printing everyday metal items would need. There is some applications for this but it wont replace casting, cnc, forging anytime soon. Holding temp (soaking) can grow grain size in some metal and make it weaker, and some work hardens so would be overly soft and weaken some metals soaking them like that (eg brass, I find it is like butter to work (cold) after annealing it. More so than most steels even in red phase which are pretty easy to work as it is). Besides the temp used for merging particles of metal like that that like forming sintered metal into stock in PM steels and other metals is VERY high for most alloys that'd be useful without going into less practical stuff like modelmetal/whitemetal mixes (such as tin/lead and newer lead free etc etc which are on the low strength low toughness side, think like a blob of pre-melted solder soft).

      I do a lot of metalwork (mainly knives and jewelry) as hobby and have a kiln that will accurately go to 1200C ish (actual temp, theoretical is higher but loss due to wall load etc etc) and that is nowhere near what you'd need for most metals to homogenise into a solid block structurally, at least on the macro scale, it tends to keep the carbides small as they only go into solution at higher temps again so wont be equal to a cast ingot. A lot of the hobbyist jewelry and knife/tool makers I know send stuff away for commercial heat treat because their gas forge wont hit the temps needed for most metals including many stainless steels (I use gas for bringing steels to work temp or low temp metals and electric for high precision or high temps like in steels (esp stainless like niolox I use)).

    11. Re:Not that tough. by HiThere · · Score: 1

      I'm speculating well out of my area of knowledge, but...

      You're thinking of heating it considerably hotter than I was thinking of. I wasn't thinking of up to annealing temperature, but a bit below that. I wasn't so much thinking of growing the grain size as allowing impurities to dissipate (I think that's how it works). Vacuum welds can be pretty strong if you have a good vacuum and smooth surfaces, but get a little air or other impurity in there and they become a lot weaker. But clearly what I'm proposing would necessarily be for very small pieces. And you'd probably need to run the oven in a good vacuum. As you said, probably not practical.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    12. Re:Not that tough. by K10W · · Score: 1

      I'm speculating well out of my area of knowledge, but...

      You're thinking of heating it considerably hotter than I was thinking of. I wasn't thinking of up to annealing temperature, but a bit below that. I wasn't so much thinking of growing the grain size as allowing impurities to dissipate (I think that's how it works). Vacuum welds can be pretty strong if you have a good vacuum and smooth surfaces, but get a little air or other impurity in there and they become a lot weaker. But clearly what I'm proposing would necessarily be for very small pieces. And you'd probably need to run the oven in a good vacuum. As you said, probably not practical.

      Actually I explained what I meant poorly as usual, apologies. I was thinking of heattreat per se not just removing the remaining binder or optimising the machine for speed like this and what happens if you hold it at sinter temp without cycling. You're right a soak would help with some things if done properly but going that route eliminates what they seem to be shooting for here and I thought you meant lengthening the sinter step which I see you didn't now (ie. holding it too hot for longer then workpiece = done). This seems to be speed over structural integrity unless I'm mistaken it simply does 1 minimal time heating cycle to remove the binders and sinter the material so the stuff comes out none hardened. I could be wrong maybe it has a longer mode specific to materials eg. feed a given steel in and it'll do extra cooling/heating cycles like programme an austemper for given piece size step and so on.

      I looked up the pricing of it and it is unlikely to match cnc rig any time soon if ever, I didn't check initially and assumed it was mid to high end cnc rig money but it is more than that tech when it was new and definately in the larger industry end of things where there are much much better options for most (not all) applications. Most of those example materials would not have their spec sheet qualities if not treated properly. Many stain resistant steels like the ones they list it can be fed for instance are not resistant if not heattreated, most the other materials they state are soft if not treated properly. A multiturret multi axis cnc rig is fast enough without the drawbacks of this for most of industry and can handle small part runs (and you possibly get several for the price of this negating speed) and better tolerances as no shrinkage nor voids from air/binder burnoff. The grain size thing gets complicated (aka boring ;) ) but basically held hot for too long = the grain size grows and weakens it on a micro scale so it looks fine but isn't. You can fix it to a degree by heat cycling it (ie. letting cool and reheating to given temp for certain time however many times that is needed) but this doesn't seem to do that . There are more complications to do with primary and secondary carbides but it wont apply to most generic parts you'd print really. Basically there isn't a single step heating process that will work as well as current multistep way, and in many industries the stock is normalised and so on already so you don't need to do that so it doesn't add to the time and it is just the last steps you need, and in small runs stuff like snap tempers can be omitted and speed it up more than norm because industry only does them in steel martempering where it has risk of breaking in the quench step made more likely due to larger time between initial treat and quench step (they have huge conveyors or racks/trolley loads that go from one end of factory complex to kilns at the other or even off site but doing it all in one workshop/lab in small batch means there is seconds not hours/days between those steps so much less risk).

      It isn't print = finished part comparable to existing process finished part from what I saw in that video so it seems not there yet to me and not really offering any advantage EXCEPT a run of low structural integrity parts that is sweetspot batch size between too few to bother

    13. Re:Not that tough. by K10W · · Score: 1

      I'm speculating well out of my area of knowledge, but...

      You're thinking of heating it considerably hotter than I was thinking of. I wasn't thinking of up to annealing temperature, but a bit below that. I wasn't so much thinking of growing the grain size as allowing impurities to dissipate (I think that's how it works). Vacuum welds can be pretty strong if you have a good vacuum and smooth surfaces, but get a little air or other impurity in there and they become a lot weaker. But clearly what I'm proposing would necessarily be for very small pieces. And you'd probably need to run the oven in a good vacuum. As you said, probably not practical.

      the second bit I also assumed knowledge people prob have no interest in too. Clarification = you can get materials like steels where the stock is made from highly compressed then sintered powders so you get the benefit of small particle size or close to shape stock etc but there is no air voids (due to the pressing step) and impurity wise as you prob know from previous comments it is done in vacuum or under suitable atmosphere (inert or favourable gas increased, unfavourable ones removed). You can control the exact carbide size and distribution with those methods too. CPM and Bohler and so on have load of articles if you're interested. As for the carbides and formation at what temp and what it does and so on for steels at least Cliff Stamp is an interesting guy.

    14. Re:Not that tough. by rickb928 · · Score: 1

      This will probably [please you more when you can actually get a replacement inside door handle for your beloved 14-year-old beater, rather than use a coathanger until you succumb to the accursed 7-year-old self-driving electric banshee that takes off and picks up another ChevyLyft ride, leaving you with the subtle aroma of vomit from last night's last ride off Mill Ave. The one where it stopped at the autowash to hose out the rubber interior. Because they tried, really tried, to cover the smell with something mildly allergenic and ineffective to boot.

      The autonomous vehicle future will have a lot of us resisting. And parts availability for older vehicles will be the hammer to recommend us to submit.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
    15. Re:Not that tough. by rickb928 · · Score: 1

      It is not going to take long for the hobbyist community to leverage this and start showing how to build small furnaces with both thermal and microwave heating. Half-wave traps are simple, and small magnetos are ubiquitous. Kits will show up soon (18-24 months?) enough.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
    16. Re:Not that tough. by superdave80 · · Score: 1

      Sintering metals can give you parts with nearly the same strength and density as a molded/cast part.

    17. Re:Not that tough. by VisceralLogic · · Score: 1

      And not just prototyping. They're currently using 3D printing for production engine parts: http://www.geglobalresearch.co...

      --
      Stop! Dremel time!
  4. Maybe by amiga3D · · Score: 3, Insightful

    At first I was skeptical of the claim but after reading the article it appears they're actually producing a system. The inclusion of Emanuel Sachs lends credibility also. Shouldn't be a long wait, part of the system ships in a few months the second part next year.

    1. Re:Maybe by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      ... part of the system ships in a few months the second part next year, of the third century, of the next Mayan calendar, when the last person to have range anxiety over electric cars exists, and as the ten planets align (there'll be a few conferences between now and then and we'll even get down to six planets at one point).

    2. Re:Maybe by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Don't bother talking sense to the negative do-nothing nancies on /. Not worth your time.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    3. Re:Maybe by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      I understand skepticism, I'm mostly a skeptic myself. Still, if it's BS they usually put the date out a while. If they have nothing to show by the end of the year, that will be that. Most ppl don't run the scam that way.

  5. but.... by meglon · · Score: 1

    Can it make a cup of Earl Grey?

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    1. Re:but.... by meglon · · Score: 2

      Awwww,,,, no, i'm sorry. You'll have to find Rick Santorum and his dog to fulfill your fantasies.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  6. So much cheaper! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    an equivalent laser system will run you more than US$1 million

    so... $100K?

    The entire integrated system and associated software retails for US$120,000

    Oh, marketing mathematics, eh?

    Call me when you get it down to $10K.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:So much cheaper! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      And call me when they get it down to $1K.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:So much cheaper! by Kjella · · Score: 1

      And call me when they get it down to $1K.

      And call me when I can't get the product I want cheaper off one of the owners on eBay. Seriously, this reminds me of someone trying to make the business case that I should buy a gym at home. I don't have the space and it would be idle 99.9% of the time. Seriously, some of these machines I spend like 5 minutes exercising (1m series-1m break-1m series-1m break-1m series-done) that I might do once a week. I'd rather just pay for a gym membership. Even if I have a custom design job unless I need it very often and/or very quickly - though 3D printers are far from instant - I'd just upload the blueprint.

      I see this a lot on /. like trying to push ideas that I think if it made sense someone would do it on an industrial scale. Like for example solar power and energy storage, if solar panels and batteries "makes sense" then why not a huge array of them. Not 5 sqm on my roof and a battery in my basement. If that makes sense there must be some pretty fucked up incentives to do it that'll probably go away. Heck, I can't even print an A3 picture at home even though it's obviously available at home. It's just cheaper to go to a print shop when I have the need and they can do A2/A1/A0 too.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  7. Furnace by rfengr · · Score: 1

    Office freindly sintering furnace? I don't think our ES&H would approve it.

  8. ABS what? by oic0 · · Score: 2

    Almost no one prints ABS anymore. Its only good property is heat tolerance. PLA is the most popular for things where strength isn't needed. Outside of that there us nylon, petg, polycarbonate, etc....

    1. Re:ABS what? by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2

      Almost no one prints ABS anymore. Its only good property is heat tolerance. PLA is the most popular for things where strength isn't needed.

      We don't? ABS is stronger than PLA, albeit not as stiff. It also can be smoothed and glued with acetone which is very handy. You can't solvent weld most of the ones you've listed. ABS has got a pretty bad rep for being "difficult", but I really can't tell why. I've never had much trouble on a variety of printers.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  9. Good! by OpenSourced · · Score: 1

    Now this incredible advancement will be joined with the many upcoming improvements in battery technology and the no less fabulous breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence and create a car that prints itself when you need it, and then takes a while to decide that you really don't need to go where you wanted to go.

    --
    Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
  10. The printer is nothing special, filament is by ka9dgx · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is a normal 3d printer, with filament that is heavily laden with metal, so they probably use a nozzle that is tougher (like carbide or sapphire).... the magic is the metal gets sintered after a bath to remove most of the plastic. Enterprising folks could probably use a different extruder on their existing 3d printers, and get similar results.

    I have no problem believing this thing works, as there is nothing really revolutionary happening.

    1. Re:The printer is nothing special, filament is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Did you RTFS? 100x faster throughput and 10x cheaper? There's actual prices for a system n their website, so unless they don't actually ship, they will have to deliver what they say they will. I've been meh about 3D printing, but this might change things.

    2. Re:The printer is nothing special, filament is by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      There's actual prices for a system n their website, so unless they don't actually ship, they will have to deliver what they say they will.

      Wow, way to try to brush past that inconvenient little factoid.

      Have you been paying attention the past 10-15 years?

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re:The printer is nothing special, filament is by deanpole · · Score: 1

      It begs the question of if the polymer can be extruded through a small nozzle, why not stamp for bulk manufacturing? Thus, the sintering patents are worth more indeed.

  11. Waiting for the panic. . . by Salgak1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    . . . when some legislator realizes this could be used to print "ghost guns". And then demands limits on what can be printed on them. ..

    1. Re:Waiting for the panic. . . by AtariEric · · Score: 2

      Within a reasonable time, I predict that we will be able to print "ghost" anything, at least in macro scales. The people panicking will be the mass-producers of cheap bullshit items, as local small-office fabs (who don't summarily have to pay shipping costs for over-packaged end-user items) and open-source designs will eat their lunch.

      --
      Don't trust any concentration of power.
    2. Re:Waiting for the panic. . . by dbIII · · Score: 1

      We just have to hope no attention seekers like the "3D printed plastic gun" idiots make some noise about this stuff.
      Seriously guys, "zip guns" have been around for a long time so there's no need to worry. also "real" hobby guns that can take real usage instead of single shot are a thing. A guy I know even made a semi-replica musket that is breech loading with one inch cartridges - with hand tools! It has trouble hitting a barn, even when he cuts down on the powder charge in the cartidges, but it's real (and legally registered).

  12. Only 100x faster? by Namarrgon · · Score: 5, Informative

    This Australian startup has a new additive metal process that is 1000x faster, and 100x cheaper!

    Seriously - and it's working today, not still in development. No filament, no lasers - they have a six-axis arm holding the part over a nozzle that blasts it with high-speed metal particles that stick to the part. Sounds crude, and it looks crude, but a quick bake to sinter it and a run through the CnC mill to finish it, and the completed result is as good as any slow laser-sintered part (which will also require milling).

    They figured that since existing additive metal processes still require a final milling step to smooth out the surfaces, it takes just as much time to mill off a few hundred microns as a couple dozen, so you might as well go quick & dirty for the additive stage - same result, and much faster overall.

    --
    Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
    1. Re:Only 100x faster? by abies · · Score: 1

      Do you have a link to specific measurements? It looks to me that errors/resolution is more in couple millimeters rather than 50-100 microns.

      If we go one order of magnitude higher, then we can just get 10x10x10 metal solid cube and use cutter/miller to cut out the shape we need and skip 3d printing part.

    2. Re:Only 100x faster? by Namarrgon · · Score: 1

      Best I could find (and the source of the above comments) was this link, which has an interview with the CEO.

      --
      Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
    3. Re:Only 100x faster? by JThundley · · Score: 1

      Yeah? Well my company 3D printed a usable pistol! Nyah!

  13. Lots of "ifs" and "mights" by OldSport · · Score: 1

    IF I gain 40 pounds of muscle and win the lottery tomorrow, I MIGHT have a shot at banging Megan Fox, too.

  14. Slashvertisement Garbage (and thei tech suchks too by sciengin · · Score: 1

    First: blatant advertisement which makes me a sad panda.

    Second: Their technology is nothing new or revolutionary and not fit for actually useful parts either.
    The whole things is, in the end, still just pressure less sintering with less binding material than other 3D printers.
    Problem: Sintered parts are not very robust. They might make paperweights with that technique but never, lets say, tubine engine blades.

    It is quite unfortunate as a suitable technology already exists but is still rather obscure: LENS (laser engineered net shaping) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... Because of the beam pressure, the parts are as robust as if they were forged.

    Unfortunately there is not all that much literature on this topic, but I did find one pdf article:
    http://www.sandia.gov/mst/pdf/...

  15. TFS summarized by mike.mondy · · Score: 1

    TFS Summarized: It's a cool company!! Ppl are investing! If it works, it's gonna be big! Real big, I tell ya.

    Sadly, the "if" part is almost a direct quote.

    Seriously, editors, would it have killed you translate/shrink this to: Startup promises metal printing 100X faster for 1/10 the printer price and 1/20th the materials price ?

    1. Re:TFS summarized by mike.mondy · · Score: 1

      Rephrased - The title was fine, the summary was a waste of space.

    2. Re:TFS summarized by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      yes it would kill most slashdotters and the editors to admit a startup with a boulder promises the moon.

  16. Typo: "note" not "not" by dbIII · · Score: 1

    early adopters should note that you do not want the powder in your lungs.
    I also should mention there's a bit of a fire hazard with metal powder but it's not that hard to work around. The main thing is don't get it or the fumes from that burning plastic inside you.

  17. Re:Genuine question: by Salgak1 · · Score: 1

    People build AK-47-type rifles and mill AR-15 lowers in their home workshops.

    To make an AK, you need a parts kit and a hydraulic press. The rest is done with hand tools. (a folding jig for the "flat", and riveting jigs are useful. . .)

    To mill an AR lower receiver (the legal definition of the weapon), you need a drill press. (a drilling jig is useful) The rest pretty much is trivial.

    I've been to "build parties" where a dozen AK rifles are built over a 2-day period (It could be done in hours, if you don't want to heat-treat the folded receiver. . . )

  18. material scientist here by scatbomb · · Score: 1

    Not sure where you're getting your info, but you'd better read some more before posting on glasses/crystals. Metal with a lot of grain boundaries is not glass-like at all, it's polycrystalline. Glasses are amorphous, they have no long-range crystalline order and therefore no grain boundaries. Also metallic glass is a real thing and compared to normal metals it is more resistant to corrosion, resistant to wear, and very tough. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  19. Not quite that easy by superdave80 · · Score: 1

    I worked at a company that used this sintering process. We molded the pre-sintered parts, while this company is 3D printing them. A few issues to overcome:

    1. Shrinkage. Sure, you can say that the software will take care of this, but here is LOTS of trial and error to getting the original shape just right to allow for the shrinkage

    2. Droop. When sintering (near melting point), the parts will tend to drop because, well, they are near melting. We mostly dealt with smaller parts due to this issue, but you can support them. The article mentions the supports, but where do they come from? We custom made ours out of ceramics to withstand the heat.

    3. Removal of binders: We ran our parts through a separate chemical bath to remove some of the binder agents before sintering. This isn't mentioned anywhere in the article, so I'm curious if this will cause issues.

    4. Post process machining: Some of our parts required machining for holes and other critical points on the part. How will this machining be done? Most of our either used a CNC machine with custom made jigs, or by hand, also with custom made jigs. Since these are prototypes, and ours were production parts, this might not be as critical an issue.

    This isn't a really a new process, and there are lots of known issues with it.