SLS 3D Printing AT HOME?

Micronics is launching the MICRON, a desktop SLS 3d printer with HOME USERS IN MIND. Let's kick the tires and run some prints!

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[JeffsPrints]

Not sure if it's just me, but at 1:16 I get a weird video glitch.

[awzup]

as someone who works with metal powder in an SLM 280 and an EOS M290 everyday, I can tell you that it doesnt matter HOW careful you are, you are going to need to clean powder off of thigns all of the time no matter what. Working with those machines, I would NEVER put a machnine that uses powder in a place connected to where I live.

[leogoldschmidt]

Thank you for mentioning the safety side of SLS printers as I always see promotional material where no one is wearing PPE. I Interned at a full scale SLS facility while in college and as long as anyone was working with the printers, the room had to be locked down. When working with the printers you were required to wear a full respirator hood, anti-static shoes, a chemical and flame retardant lab coat, and disposable gloves to be compliant with lab safety. Clean up also required a specialized anti-static shop vacuum and everything had to be cleaned before the room could be opened again.

[micronicsd]

Hey Joel, thanks for checking out our printer!
Sorry the bin broke in so many places during shipping - for the production machines, we plan on switching to Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) for the bin, or adding sheet metal inserts to reinforce the FDM print, which should make it much more durable.
Regarding the safety aspects, you should definitely wear a N95 respirator and gloves when handling the powder. However, it is worth mentioning that unlike metal powders, Nylon 12 is inert and non-toxic (though inhaling large quantities can still cause discomfort). The sift bin and dust extractor can keep you workspace pretty clean, but spills can still happen and of course, the sift bin can break. (also, we recommend placing the powder scoop on the build chamber BEFORE raising it up). We do NOT recommend setting this up in your bedroom or living/work space - instead, put it in your shop or garage - somewhere out of the way.
For the brushing part, it is actually only necessary if you don't have a media blaster. If you have a media blaster, simply take the parts, break away the large chunks, and blast it directly. This make it much faster.
Of course, we are planning to do another round of beta testing before the production machines - which is why we are stating a delivery time of 8-12 months after launch. Other creators have also experienced some manufacturing related tolerancing issues that are causing print issues, and we do plan on working with our sheet metal and CNC shop on dialling them in.
Let us know if guys have any other questions!

[FunnyHaHa]

8:15 Technically you only get one set of lungs.

[OnlyMustache]

Hello, I am an Additive Manufacturing Subject Matter Expert for the Department of Defense. It is astonishing how often safety, health, and wellbeing considerations are overlooked in the context of additive manufacturing products. As highlighted by others in this discussion, issues such as static discharge, electrical arcing, and fire hazards are significant concerns. These factors make the use of such technologies in a home environment highly inadvisable. It is important to note that engaging in these activities could lead to your home insurance policy being invalidated.

For instance, at timestamp 12:10 in the shared video, the use of a non-explosion-proof vacuum cleaner is clearly demonstrated, posing a substantial risk. Moreover, a simple mask is insufficient for depowdering processes; typically, a controlled environment such as a glovebox is necessary. The particulate material involved behaves like tiny marbles, spreading ubiquitously and presenting further hazards.

I could elaborate further, but the key takeaway is to ensure you thoroughly understand and mitigate the risks involved in additive manufacturing.

[fasfan]

In 15 years we get a new run of mesothelioma commercials

[_Piers_]

"SLS printing AT HOME"
Formlabs says "Nope"

[kerbalengineeringsystems]

Using this thing without a full respirator is kind of crazy...

[pigloo]

Scientists: You consume a credit card sized amount of micro plastics every week...
Micronics: Those are ROOKIE NUMBERS!
Me: Time to top up muh balls.

[davidf]

Watching this has made me realize that the prices of Shapeways SLS prints are entirely justified. Think I'll stick with them.

[hellcoreproductions]

How come none of the videos I've seen on this show people wearing the right kind of PPE and have no proper work environment for it? A home is certainly not a place for SLS of any kind. The shoddy prototype transfer buckets really show how little thought for safety there is. That fan/filter combo is just a cute way to reassure you it's safe, but fine powders get everywhere and the whole area should be a managed zone, enclosed and with with airflow considerations. You will not see most of the dusts you inhale, that's why wash and change facilities are provided where these are worked with. The OSH guidelines for working with them are pretty strict on workplace exposure limits, even "inert" ones.

[samhale]

And Joel will be finding media powder in the room for years to come 😂

[Anthromod]

One issue with SLS printers is that you can only re-use the material so much. So you have to throw out so much of the powder that enters the build chamber. This has a big impact on the economics of printing as a small part with tall geometry costs more than a larger part with shorter geometry. For small scale this tends to discourage prototyping, or one offs, and is more for predictable batch printing.

[flioink]

SLS at home?
Oh boy, I hope you got a good air filtration system!

[Niei]

And I thought resin printing could be messy already. I don't see me using this in my apartment.

[vinny]

the fact that you are not wearing PPE in the few seconds when the cake is first get exposed actually triggered me a bit.

In addition, the hazard with SLS is actual the spills. It is good that you wear PPE when handling the pieces.The powder that spill onto your clothes and around your workshop that is still a concern. They will eventually make their way into someone's lungs.

[sgfx]

12:00 You could place the box inside your media blaster (or a media blaster large enough) and combined prep workflow and dust control,

[arklanuthoslin]

SLS Nylon is amazing stuff. I ordered a print in that from shapeways of a wallet I designed basically just holds 6 credit cards and has a flexible "money clip" to keep them in. I've used it daily for over ten years now and it's never had an issue at all.

[MakersAcres]

Thank you for the review. Just wanted to give you a tip with media blasting. We have a few SLS machines at work (Imagineering) and after years of testing, we found that baking soda (purchased in bulk at McMaster) works the best for media blasting without doing damage to your parts.