How to 3D print Metal Parts with a polymer SLS Printer – Cold Metal Fusion Process Chain

Cold Metal Fusion is a groundbreaking manufacturing process that uses polymer SLS 3D printers by Sintratec to produce complex metal components. In this video, Levent Akbas of Headmade Materials walks you through the CMF process chain, from preparation to the final metal parts.

To illustrate the process, we produce an automotive lightweight gear with 17-4PH stainless steel material.

Further reading:

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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction with Levent Akbas of Headmade Materials
0:20 Cold Metal Fusion Process Overview
0:50 Digital Print Job Preparation
1:10 Filling the Build Module with 17/4PH Material
1:36 Moving MCU into Sintratec S2 and starting Printing Process
2:03 Green Parts depowdering and about the CMF Material
2:41 Water blasting of the Green Parts
3:02 Debinding of the Green Parts
3:42 Sintering of the Brown Parts
4:30 Measuring Final Stainless Steel Part
4:48 Performance compared to conventional Manufacturing
5:05 Summary and Benefits of the CMF Process
5:30 Outro

About us: Sintratec is the leading Swiss provider of first-class selective laser sintering (SLS) solutions. The professional 3D printing systems and resilient materials meet the highest industrial requirements. From the consultation to the service – Sintratec offers a user-friendly and overall package for modern, scalable additive manufacturing. To realize your ideas and designs in a fast and cost-effective way.

© Sintratec AG, 2023. This video, including all parts thereof, is protected by copyright. Any form of use that does not fall within the confines of copyright legislation is not permitted and is punishable by law. This applies in particular to processing it in any way and using excerpts from it. For more information please contact the producer.

[christianwmeyer]

It is very well explained and shows the endless possibilities of additive manufacturing. Using an SLS printer for metal parts is smart 🚀🏆

[torodatruth]

i the potential is.... beyond what we're capable of even grasping currently.... seems like A LOT OF STEPS to get from start to finish but one day there'll be a version that one could setup in a, lets say, 12'x25' shop out back and make some TRULY fascinating projects ranging from custom home hardware to car manifolds etc....i can't wait! this is the way.

[sebastiansantillan]

Incredible, congratulations. The only thing is that either you have a client who asks for many pieces or this must not be profitable. A lot of energy expenditure, hours in the oven, printing, water, etc... I deduce that this will only be within the reach of the big guys and those who have contacts in high spheres of society.

[rogiervdheide]

It is great. I would like to print metal with SLA.

[sl_st]

I am very interested in how much this technology allows us to get closed thin channels in detail.
In one of my developments, artificial tendons pass through such channels.
The walls of the channels will be lined with a Teflon tube to reduce friction.

A prototype of prosthetics.
I wonder how reliable it is possible to receive such channels?

[yokoful]

What is the price of the sintering furnace?

[mvwoods]

You're not printing metal. You're printing plastic parts with metal in them that eventually density into metal parts through other processes. I wish the industry would stop trying to confuse customers on this point. Indirect metal printing is not really metal printing at all. It's like if I printed a lost PLA mold that I wanted to cast into metal and called that metal 3d printing.

[Z-add]

2:55 Really high accuracy of 0.1mm. Is this a joke

[vejl]

Why are you not using a caliper from a known brand.
That is very unprofessional!