Micro metal fabrication
is also leaping ahead as we can see from this.
There are plenty of issues but as one can see, they are all obvious and
are succumbing to steady development. Of
course many of these solutions may not have clear markets yet but that also is
a predictable cycle of issues.
The main thing is that
we are moving forward quickly.
I suspect that the
principal applications market will turn out to be the medical market were an
actual micro machine could be useful.
Micro laser sintering
technology to 3D print tiny metal parts
December
12, 2013
Germany-based
companies, 3D-Micromac AG, a provider of laser micromachining systems, and EOS
GmbH, an e-Manufacturing group, have teamed up to form a new organization
dubbed 3D MicroPrint GmbH. The new enterprise is developing a new micro laser
sintering technology (MLS) for 3D printing tiny metal components to meet the
demands of Makers and professionals alike.
Creating
small, yet precise, 3D prints isn’t new, researchers at the Vienna University
of Technology have even done so on the nanoscale, but those components are made of resin.
3D MicroPrint’s MLS technology boasts layer thicknesses of under five
micrometers with metal materials, but Mandy Gebhardt at 3D-Micromac explains,
“We have been processing different layer thicknesses in more than 100 projects
with customers from around the globe and many industries. The thinnest layers
we have used to build parts are 2 micrometers.”
According
the Gebhardt, the device is Ideal for the medical, jewelery and watch,
aerospace, and automotive industries, with the micro parts market estimated at
around US$5 billion annually. 3D printing has an advantage over conventional
manufacturing processes for these tiny parts, since the tolerances can be just
as refined, but the parts can be far more complex.
The
two companies have been developing MLS technology since 2006, but not without
encountering some challenges. Similar to the direct metal laser sintering
process used to print the Tri-D
rocket engine, micro laser sintering uses a laser to melt metal powders to
form each layer. When 3D printing on such a small scale, the particle size of
the metal powder can make a huge difference.
“Work
safety is an important issue because this powder size is respirable, and
because of the large surface area, it is even more reactive than the one used
in known laser sintering solutions,” Gebhardt explains.
The
powder particle size of traditional processes is between 30 and 45 micrometers,
while the MLS process utilizes particles that are 5 micrometers or less. These
tiny particles, in conjunction with a laser spot diameter (the size of the
laser beam when it hits the material) that is less than or equal to 30
micrometers, make the tiny prints possible.
The
company has been using molybdenum, tungsten, and stainless steel 316L (1.4404)
for the tiny prints, but according to Gebhardt, “[3D MicroPrint] has processed
high melting pure metals as well as alloys, and [the company] knows that copper
and silver work as well. This is the reason why we believe almost any metal can
work in this process.” The organization’s research and development is demand
driven, so process development for titanium and aluminum is planned for 2014.
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