New 3D printing method - Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS) Prints metal - Possibly less

New 3D printing method - Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS)

Prints metal - Possibly less that 5 grand (5k) for a printer

http://www.kurzweilai.net/novel-process-could-let-consumers-3d-print-metal-parts-for-the-first-time

Development is happening really fast in this area. This could be a good method, especially if it’s very cheap to buy. Of course, a few years down the line it’ll be even cheaper. Especially once you start manufacturing the metal 3D printers IN metal 3D printers. :slight_smile:

Sounds like you waste a lot of metal powder though which isn’t cheap

Because the leftover powder is now contaminated by inhibitor and has been through heating via the sintering step.

Still Powder Bed Fusion

I don’t see what the advantage is? New, Yes… Better? Don’t know…

I read it like this: They use an inkjet print head to encase the part of the metal powder corresponding to the model in a sugar coat. The rest (outside) of the powder can be removed and then the tray goes into a furnace for sintering. The sugar coat becomes a crumbly support but doesn’t fuse with the model. This would put some rather odd limits on your model: now hollow models, no holes open only down towards the bed, upper limit on part thickness. On the other hand: break-off supports are part of the system, the parts are pure metal, overhangs and detail are only limited the ability to clean off coat (and powder particle size).

I like it.

@Hannes_Lilliefeldt Well you can always have escape holes, and/or print in parts to later fuse. like in many traditional mold methods.

If you have escape holes pointing downwards you’ll have to have holes through the bed, otherwise there would be a fused plug in the cavity.