Mar 8, 2018 | By Benedict

Sweden’s Magicfirm Europe AB, creator of the ZYYX 3D printer, says it is developing a metal 3D printer that will cost less than 10,000 euros ($12,400). The three-step binder 3D printing system should be ready for shipping in 2019.

Leaders of the biggest additive manufacturing companies often say that metal 3D printers are the future of the industry, being the best machinery for creating end-use parts. But the price points of even the cheapest metal 3D printers remain prohibitive for many businesses—even relatively successful ones.

Any news of a low-cost metal 3D printer is therefore welcome news, and Sweden’s Magicfirm Europe AB has just announced the development of a three-stage metal 3D printing system that will cost less than $12,400. The company, which was founded in 2013 and is best known for its ZYYX FDM 3D printers, says the metal printer could be ready next year.

“We have been developing our metal 3D printing technology for some time and we are now ready to show an early stage proof of concept,” said Mats Moosberg, CEO of Magicfirm Europe AB and creator of the ZYYX 3D printer. “We’re still fine tuning the process and the objects we are showing now highlight the spectrum of materials and print volume.”

Magicfirm’s patent-pending 3D printing process lies somewhere between laser sintering and binder jetting, and can be broken down into three separate steps:

  1. Building the “green body” through an FDM-like process with 50-microns resolution and the possibility to create any geometries
  2. Removing the binder to create the “brown body”
  3. Sintering the brown body into a solid metal part using “innovative techniques”

Magicfirm says the 3D printing process works with materials like copper, bronze, brass, and steel, with other materials potentially to be added in the next phase of development. It has used its proof-of-concept printer to make various demonstrator prints in these materials.

“We see a great opportunity to build upon our ZYYX pro 3D printer for engineering materials and give our customers access to another ZYYX tool for doing real prototyping and one-off production in metal, in a safe way regardless of facilities,” Moosberg said. “We have also started talking to different parties for funding the continued development and commercialization of the product. To show real prints is a good way to get the word out there.”

Magicfirm Europe AB is located next to Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

 

 

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Joe wrote at 3/8/2018 8:00:26 PM:

I wonder if we'll ever see direct print to gold and silver. I'm no jeweler, but I imagine not having to print to wax as an intermediate step would save time and cost.

I.AM.Magic wrote at 3/8/2018 2:35:11 PM:

So....mim process, right?



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