Binder jet 3D printing technology is ideal for medium and small batch production of parts With the optimization and upgrading of the global industrial chain, enterprises are paying more and more attention to workflow and detailed costs. In the cost review, many companies have found that the potential cost of product development is extremely high. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the cost of early research and development has become a key issue.

Alpha Precision Group (APG), a subsidiary of Nichols Portland, is a global supplier of metal forming materials for automotive parts and aerospace. APG has a team experienced in industrial furnaces and sintering that is able to effectively integrate binder jet powder metallurgy into its solution portfolio. The company uses its Desktop Metal family of products for 3D printing work.

Compared to MIM’s expensive test molds, binder jet 3D printing technology is faster and more flexible. Help companies significantly reduce prototype delivery time, while customers/designers can quickly adjust product solutions before MIM production. By 3D printing samples with binder jet, customers can grasp the quality of the final product delivery relatively quickly and accurately, avoiding unnecessary waste of time and materials.

Metal injection molding MIM

MIM technology is essentially a process suitable for mass production, by using molds, metal powders and binders to shape the parts, and then through the degreasing and sintering process to complete the manufacturing of the metal parts. Due to the high mold costs, MIM technology has a cost advantage in mass production.

Binder jet Printing

Binder Jetting Printing Binder jet 3D printing is considered suitable for medium and small scale production. Compared with MIN technology, it saves the high mold cost and realizes the goal of producing parts directly without mold. In a certain range of production quantities, especially in the case of mold development costs have a large impact on the cost of a single piece, binder jet 3D printing has obvious cost and efficiency advantages over MIM technology. Therefore, in specific application scenarios, enterprises can give priority to binder 3D printing test mold setting, more flexible and flexible response to customer needs.

MIM&BJ perfect combination In the face of different orders of parts demand, the combination of MIM technology and binder jet metal 3D printing technology can well make up for the problems between large and small batch production in production, and also provide customers with more diversified solutions.

The combination of the two processes, because they have almost the same degreasing sintering steps, can reduce equipment investment; In addition, because the raw materials used in both are the same, the BJ process can be used to purchase "low-cost materials" of metal powders in large quantities.

In summary, the use of BJ process will successfully reduce the production cost of enterprises. Digital manufacturing improves enterprise production Playing a major role in the Nichols Portland customer case is Desktop Metal Shop System™. It is a production-grade metal bonding jet 3D printer that works with modern machine shops and seamlessly links existing workflows. Finally, welcome to contact us !