May 19, 2017 | By Benedict
California-based advanced manufacturing company Fathom has partnered with Massachusetts-based 3D printing company Desktop Metal. Fathom will use Desktop Metal’s recently released Studio and Production 3D printers to offer more affordable metal 3D printing services to customers.
It’s only been a month since Google-backed 3D printing company Desktop Metal launched two new metal 3D printers, the DM Studio and DM Production. However, that short timespan has apparently given advanced manufacturing company Fathom sufficient reason to adopt the new technology for its in-house 3D printing solutions.
Rich Stump, Co-Founder and Principal at Fathom, says that use of Desktop Metal’s new Studio 3D printing system will “help bring a lower barrier-of-entry solution for metal additive technologies to a broader engineering and manufacturing market.”
“With current metal 3D printing equipment, it is cost prohibitive to 3D print metal prototype parts,” Stump added. “Desktop Metal has introduced a solution, the Studio System, which will allow designers and engineers to cost-effectively produce metal prototypes.”
The DM Studio System uses a process called Metal Injection Molding (MIM), which Desktop Metal says is “the only way to print complex metal parts in-house.” The 3D printer works a bit like a standard FDM printer, but uses metal materials mixed with a binder. A sintering furnace is used to remove the binder and fuse the metal particles together after printing.
The DM Studio 3D printer, which will start shipping this September, is described by Desktop Metal as being “dramatically less expensive than existing technology.” In real numbers, that’s $120,000, which includes the metal 3D printer, debinder, and microwave-enhanced sintering furnace.
Desktop Metal's DM Studio 3D printing system
“We are excited to be partnering with Fathom both as a manufacturing service center and a sales partner as we look to broaden the adoption of our metal 3D printing systems,” said Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal. “Rich Stump and Michelle Mihevc have built an incredible team who will be integral in expanding market opportunities and driving the growth of our customer base across diverse industries.”
Fathom’s Mihevc added that by adopting the Desktop Metal 3D printing system, a machine that is “both office friendly and accessible at a lower cost,” Fathom can explore many potential applications using the technology. The company could, for example, use its “expertise in 3D printed tooling” to develop a faster, cheaper tooling process.
Fathom also plans to use the DM Production 3D printing system, which is supposedly “100x faster” than existing laser-based technology. “We believe [the DM Production] will contribute to significant growth in our customer’s adoption of metal-based additive manufacturing of end-use parts,” Mihevc said.
Earlier this year, the much-hyped Desktop Metal received $45 investment from companies including Google, BMW, and Lowe’s.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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45 million dollars. not 45 dollars
Bob wrote at 5/20/2017 8:54:08 PM:
$45 investment?
Cractacus Potts wrote at 5/20/2017 8:19:02 AM:
Was that $45 each, or they had a whip round and raised $45.
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