Additive Manufacturing of Metals Using the MEX Method: Process Characteristics and Performance Properties-A Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Traditional manufacturing struggles with complex geometries.
• Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers solutions for intricate designs.
• Metal-polymer composites are emerging materials for AM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the latest advancements in additive manufacturing of metallic components using the Material Extrusion (MEX) approach.
• To discuss the characteristics of the MEX printing process for metal-polymer composites.
• To identify challenges and future research directions in MEX technology for metallic parts.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on MEX additive manufacturing of metal-polymer composites.
• Analysis of printing process characteristics, material properties, and post-processing techniques (debinding and sintering).
• Characterization of printing parameters and their impact on component functionality.

Main Results:

• MEX technology, using metal-polymer composites, provides a cost-effective and faster alternative to techniques like Selective Laser Melting (SLM) for low-volume production.
• The process enables the fabrication of fully dense stainless steel and titanium alloy components with complex geometries.
• Key process parameters significantly influence the functional characteristics of the final metallic parts.

Conclusions:

• MEX technology represents a promising, economical approach for additive manufacturing of metallic components, especially for complex designs and low-volume applications.
• Further research is needed to address process limitations, optimize parameters, and refine post-processing steps for enhanced component quality and wider industrial adoption.