Low cost 3D printing of metals using filled polymer pellets

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Traditional metal additive manufacturing relies on expensive, complex equipment with limited user control.
• Existing granular feedstocks for Metal Injection Molding (MIM) offer potential for more accessible metal printing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more accessible and adaptable metal 3D printing method for small structures and academic research.
• To adapt existing 3D printing technology for processing polymer-metal composite feedstocks.

Main Methods:

• Modified a mid-range E3D Tool Changer 3D printer with a compact granulates extruder.
• Utilized thermoplastic polymer and metal powder mixture as feedstock in pellet form.
• Employed Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) 3D printing technology.
• Removed polymer binder via heat treatment followed by sintering for densification.

Main Results:

• Successfully adapted a commercial 3D printer for processing granular polymer-metal feedstock.
• Demonstrated a viable pathway for producing fully metallic dense objects from composite pellets.
• The modified system offers greater control and adaptability compared to conventional metal AM.

Conclusions:

• Fused Granular Fabrication with polymer-metal feedstock presents a cost-effective alternative for metal part production.
• This method significantly improves accessibility for small-scale manufacturing and academic research in metal additive manufacturing.