AMR Software
AMR Data Centers

The Oasis 3DP Brings Open Source Binder Jetting to Makers

Share this Article

The 2018 Hackaday Prize will soon be wrapping up, and as always, the contest has yielded some wonderfully innovative and promising ideas. One entry, submitted by Yvo de Haas, aims to make binder jetting accessible to everyone. Binder jetting, in which a liquid binding agent is deposited to bind powder particles together, is an effective method of 3D printing whose benefits include not requiring supports. It’s not a technology, however, that is typically accessible to the average maker. De Haas decided to change that with the development of the Oasis 3DP, an open source binder jetting 3D printer that he built himself.

The Oasis 3DP consists of two hoppers and a spreader. One hopper is filled with powder, and the other serves as the build area. An inkjet head deposits binder onto the build area, which then lowers by the thickness of one layer. The powder hopper, in turn, raises, and the spreader spreads a new layer of powder across the build area, at which point the process repeats. This occurs as many times as necessary to build up a full part, which is then removed, allowed to dry, and cleaned.

The Oasis 3DP uses a typical inkjet cartridge to deposit the binding material, and can print in several different materials, including gypsum, sand, sugar, ceramics and metal. De Haas points out the many advantages of binder jetting, including the fact that it can print with so many materials, and that it does not require supports. It can also be easily altered to print in color, simply by adding ink or dye alongside the binder. There are also several drawbacks, however: it’s a messy process, and all prints require post processing. The parts tend to be very fragile, as well, which limits their maximum size. Only one material can be printed at a time, and hollow parts require holes for the excess powder to drain out. All 3D printing processes have their disadvantages, however, and despite them, binder jetting is an effective method of creating a part from any kind of powder.

De Haas designed the Oasis 3DP as an open source project. The setup is quite simple, and allows a lot of room for alteration and customization. While there are many, many open source 3D printers out there, they tend to be mostly FDM; binder jetting isn’t something you see very often in the open source community, which alone makes this an intriguing project. The Oasis 3DP is not a finished project, de Haas cautions, rather a working prototype, so it may have a few quirks and imperfections. It’s a promising project, however, and if you have the space for a full binder jetting setup in your home or workshop, this could definitely be a fun thing to play around with.

The finals of the Hackaday Prize 2018 begin on October 22nd, when the 100 top projects will be brought before the judges. The judges will then determine the top five projects, which will be announced at the Hackaday Superconference on November 3rd.

You can check out the Oasis 3DP in action below:

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. 

[Images: Hackaday]

 



Share this Article


Recent News

Metal Powder Supplier Elementum 3D Added to $46B Air Force Contract

Nikon SLM Solutions Partners with ATI and Bechtel Plant Machinery on 3D Printed Hypersonics



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3D Printing Financials: Velo3D Looks to Bounce Back with Defense Deals

Velo3D (OTCQX: VLDX) is working hard to get back on track. The metal 3D printing company brought in $9.3 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2025, slightly below...

3D Printing News Briefs, May 10, 2025: Project Call, FDA 510(k) Clearance, & More

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, America Makes has put out its latest Project Call, and Nikon SLM Solutions is adding Dyndrite LPBF Pro software to its product offering. Moving...

Stifel’s AM Forward Fund Launches, Looking for US Manufacturers to Invest In

The need for greater resiliency in the defense supply chain is real and urgent. One area the US government has been focusing on is building a faster and more sustainable...

Ursa Major Lands $28.6M AFRL Deal for 3D Printed Draper Engine Flight Demo

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL’s) Rocket Propulsion Division at Edwards Air Force Base has awarded a $28.6 million contract to Ursa Major for follow-on work related to the...