The Future of the Manufacturing Industry (7)

3D Metal Printing

From Plastic to Metal

3D printing with plastic has been common for a few years now. The long list of uses the technology provides spans from jewelry molding to customized 3D printed gifts. The main advantage this technology offers is the ability to rapidly prototype objects. For instance, a car manufacturer can easily and cheaply prototype a plastic part before spending resources on a "real" one. The reason this technology is known for its prototyping capabilities, and not its manufacturing capabilities, is because of the material it uses. 

The ability to use metals instead of plastic in 3D printing can open up a world of possibilities. The manufacturing industry could be revolutionized. For one, manufacturers wouldn't need to waste space keeping a large inventory of various parts. They could simply print the specific part when a customer requests it. Additionally, 3D printing can produce much more complex shapes than traditional methods, allowing for higher quality parts.

How Does it Work?

The easiest way to explain the process starts with the build chamber being heated to optimal temperatures. Once heated, a thin layer of metal powder is distributed over the build area while a high powered laser scans the cross-sections of the part. The laser melts the powder together into a sturdy compound. This process repeats itself on top of the newly fused powder until the part is fully built.

After a part is complete, the entirety of it is encapsulated in metal powder, which needs to be brushed away after the components cool off. For more details on the entire process you can visit this site: Link

What this Means for the Manufacturing Industry

The technology to print with metal already exists, but because of a few factors such as cost, reliability, accessibility, etc., the industry hasn't yet converted. 3D metal printing is still relatively new and imperfect, and given time, will likely be more favorable to manufacturers. Another downside to 3D metal printing would be the fact that some part designs may not be suitable for 3D printing. There are specific techniques that need to be used when 3D printing and it might be cheaper and easier to use existing manufacturing methods rather than cooking up a new design.

I'm sure that in the next decade, the technology will be much more affordable and companies will be willing to invest in them for wider use.