I’m curious about how 3D printing with metal is done. I’ve heard mention of multiple extruder head printers that can print metal and plastic. But a search online suggests the process is very different (binding agents and sand?)
It would be absolutely awesome if I could have a triple headed printer that can print a dark wood filament, some grey stone like filament, and metal.
This would be my first print! lol
It’s pretty much only done with SLS machines AFAIK…
Although there are definitely machines in industry (which we can’t afford :-P) But they too, use laser, with metal powder (or rod? not sure) being blown / fed through and being sintered with a laser (so it’s still not an extruder technically)
Watch this - if you wanna slim it down, skip to 3:20
Darn, I was REALLY hoping I could one day print my own warforged…
Are there metal-like filaments? Wood filament is plastic with 30% wood dust and sandstone filament has fine sand in it, is there filament with metal dust in it to give it the illusion of actual metal?
Several significant SLS patents recently expired so there will likely be some decline in the costs for such machines in the near future. However, there will likely always be a hefty price tag as you have to use a powerful laser and flood the build chamber with inert gas while heating it well above 100°C.
@Jarred_Baines , thanks for sharing the video! It blows my mind every time…
@Tim_Rastall there’s also always pumping down the build area, so that you have a vacuum, without the need for inert gasses.
@ThantiK true, although it’s much harder to maintain a vacuum than maintain a volume of argon at normal atmospheric pressure.
Not hobbyist class yet at any rate!