Desktop Metal Upgrades Production System For 2019 Launch, Claims “World’s Fastest Metal Printer”

On the first day of Formnext 2018, Boston-based metal 3D printer supplier Desktop Metal launched an upgrade to its industrial-scale production system.

Scheduled to be installed at its first customer in early 2019, the production system has seen a number of major advancements promising to deliver “the lowest cost per part with the highest capacity of any 3D printing system metal available”.

According to Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal:

“We are excited to provide the international engineering and design community with more in-depth insight into the power of the production system with updated innovations and an extensive exhibit of metal parts that will be on public display for the first time. this week.”

In addition to the new system parts, the company also boasts that these updates make the production system “the fastest metal printer in the world.”

Single pass jet technology

The production system, unlike the company’s compact FFF-based studio system, is a full-scale machine that operates using Single pass jet (SPJ) – an inkjet and powder-based metal 3D printing method.

In this most recent upgrade, the build envelope of the production system would have been increased by 225% to a measurement of 750mm x 330mm x 250mm, as seen at IMTS 2018. Additionally, by increasing the initial print speed by 50%, the production system now has an average throughput of 12,000 cc/hour, which equates to over 60 kg of metal per hour.

For complex parts, mass consolidation and serialization

To demonstrate the capabilities of the production system, Desktop Metal has prepared three foundational case studies, each addressing key challenges in industrial 3D printing.

For the production of intricate parts, Desktop Metal introduces the Milwaukee® Tool Spauger Bit. A complex precision tool head, the spauger bit was created on the production system in a 4-step process, compared to a total of 14 steps required in the traditional manufacturing process.

Additionally, part consolidation is demonstrated at high volume by a batch of printed-in-place hinges, similar to the ones you use to build a metal watch strap. Measuring just 12 x 5 x 6mm each, the production system can print over 20,000 of these hinges in a single four-hour build.

And, for mass serialization, the company showed off a set of gears each 3D printed with an individual ID number. Custom markings of this nature can be automatically generated during 3D printing on the production system, eliminating the need to process each part independently.

Production system availability

The first production system customer was confirmed by Desktop Metal as “a Fortune 500 company” among the company’s early pioneers. Throughout 2019, the company expects additional customers to install the system in production “at leading automotive, heavy-duty, and metal parts manufacturers,” with widespread availability expected for 2020.

In his closing comments, Fulop said, “As we continue to expand our list of global customers and partners, companies that embrace the breakthrough technology available with the production system and facilities that are expected to begin rolling out in the coming months, Desktop Metal is looking to move the industry beyond prototyping to now include large-scale metal fabrication.

The first examples of use cases 3D printed by the upgraded production system are on display at Formnext 2018 – hall 3.0, stand C10.

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The featured image shows a 3D printed hinge of the production system with a quarter for scale. Photo via Desktop Metal