3D printing specialist Markforged says that it has developed a new 3D printing metal method called atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM).
The company says that its Metal X machine, which uses the technology, can print metal parts for manufacturers in demanding industrial, automotive, medical and aerospace industries, as well as 3D printed molds for plastic parts.
The company claims that it can create shapes and geometries that cannot be machined or produced with today’s metal printers. The ADAM technique produces parts layer-by-layer, using a metal powder contained in a plastic binder. After printing, the plastic binders are removed and the part sintered into customary engineering metals. By sintering the entire part at once, ADAM technology allows metal crystals to grow through the bonded layers, effectively erasing the layer-to-layer strength reduction of many other 3D printing processes, Markforged says.
Initially, the Metal X will print high-end stainless steels such as 17-4 and 303, while tool steel for injection molding applications and other metals are actively under development and will be available later this year.
This story is reprinted from material from Markforged, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
