Your Complete Guide to Metal 3D Printing with Markforged

Advantages of Bound Powder Extrusion

• More affordable to own and operate than other metal printers
• Minimal training needed
• High yield - parts are usually successful on the first print
• Safe - no loose metal powder
• Wide variety of materials available now — including copper with isn’t possible with other methods — and more in development
• Parts can be printed with open cell infill, reducing part weight

Drawbacks of Bound Powder Extrusion

• Lower throughput than other methods
• Minimum part size and intricacy are constrained by nozzle diameter
• Large, blocky parts can have extended wash times
  
  

While Bound Powder Extrusion has limited throughput compared to other methods, the affordability and ease of use make it the most accessible option for a wide variety of industries.

Geometric Freedom

With metal 3D printing, you are no longer limited by traditional manufacturing constraints. Compared to subtractive CNC machines, additive manufacturing is more adept at curved, natural shapes and intricate geometries. Metal printers are uniquely suited to fabricate these parts, meaning complexity adds no cost. Parts that with other methods require complicated machine setup and excessive material removal can now be produced layer-by-layer with little effort.

No Tooling Required

Most traditional metal fabrication methods (such as metal casting) require tooling or fixturing, but this is not the case with 3D printing. Tooling costs often make low volume jobs cost-prohibitive. With metal 3D printing, manufacturers can limit bandwidth issues and overhead costs associated with tooling, producing low-volume parts quickly and affordably.

Produce Parts Without Detail Drawings or CAM

Machined parts require drawings, CAM or both, while 3D printed parts do not. Most 3D printers also require minimal human oversight - simply orient your part, then select materials and basic print settings and the machines automatically produce the parts from your files. You can quickly get from the design to the finished part with less labor.

Get Products to Market Faster

Metal additive manufacturing was built to accelerate product development. Automation and the lack of drawings and CAM are just a few ways that 3D printing of metal parts helps you get to market faster. Additionally, it can reduce or eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks like inefficient workflows, third party manufacturers, complex purchasing processes and excessive wait times between part iterations. 

Steel

Steel is the most common material used in metal additive manufacturing due to its highly versatility. Key attributes of steel include heat treatability, as well as excellent strength and stiffness. Stainless steels and tool steels are the most commonly used because they are more expensive and difficult to work with when manufacturing using conventional fabrication methods.

• Stainless steels are strong and stiff with excellent resistance to corrosion.
• Tool steels are generally hard, abrasion resistant and often heat resistant.

Superalloys

Superalloys thrive in adverse environments with exposure to high heat and corrosive chemicals. They also feature high surface stability. One of the most common metal superalloys used is Inconel. Often used for turbines, engine seals and rockets, this nickel alloy group is extremely strong, tough and corrosion-resistant.

Titanium

Titanium has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and is resistant to both heat and chemicals. It achieves its best qualities when alloyed with other metals. The most common alloy, Ti-6AI-4V, is stronger and 40% less dense than stainless steel, excelling in corrosive and high temperature environments. It is a top choice for applications such as aircraft and performance vehicles.

Copper

Copper is a unique metal among the available 3D printing materials and is only available to be printed on specific machines. It is used for its thermal and electrical conductivity, rather than mechanical properties. Copper 3D printing allows engineers to create geometrically optimized copper parts like heat sinks, welding arms and bus bars for a far lower cost.

Markforged is the only company currently able to 3D print pure copper.

Maximize Bed Contact

Placing the largest face of your part on the bed surface generally reduces the number of supports needed, which helps you improve print time and material usage. In addition, during the sintering process parts become more malleable and clay-like, so top-heavy, cantilevered or tall and thin features may topple or collapse.

Reduce Stress Concentrations

During the sintering process, parts undergo thermal stresses associated with significant changes in temperature. Avoid drastic changes in part thickness as they tend to warp or curl under this type of stress. Try filleting your edges, maintaining a consistent wall thickness or designing with gradual thickness changes.