Smith Metal Products adds quick-turn 3D Binder-Jet Metal Printing parts for customers to evaluate and verify their product run utilizing a MIM-like process without the cost of building a test mold.
Now, manufacturers can easily see, touch and evaluate comparable prototype MIM-like parts produced on Smith Metals advanced 3D Binder-Jet Metal Printing additive production system.
Smith Metal’s 3D Binder Jetting is the only form of metal powder 3D printing where a part is fully formed before thermal energy is used to sinter or fuse the metal particles. This ensures that the final part’s micro-structure is correct to obtain high quality functional and performing parts.
Binder jetting uses a liquid binding agent and is sprayed onto a thin layer of powdered metal particles. Repeating this one layer at a time, the resulting prototype parts are then cured and sintered at high temperatures, creating the final part. Just like Smith Metals MIM parts, 100% of the binder is removed during the sintering process.
Smith Metal reports that printing prototype parts is faster and more versatile versus producing expensive test molds for metal injection molding or CNC machining costly prototype parts. Lead time for these prototypes is reduced substantially and allows customers to make adjustments quickly before the final MIM mold is established. 3D printed prototype parts give customers added confidence for their designs with successfully manufactured parts.
See a demonstration of the prototype process at www.smithmetals.com.
