The technology behind 3D printing is still at an early stage, but progressing rapidly. One area where researchers and engineers are focusing their attention now is affordable metal 3D printing. Currently if you wish to fabricate an object out of metal you need to have access to a machine costing close to, if not more than, $1 million. Just like with plastic 3D printing, however, such machines are certain to drop in price as their capabilities expand. There is more than just money keeping these printers out of people’s homes and garages, however. Safety is also a major concern, as high temperatures, powerful lasers, and potential fumes all present dangers to users and their environments.
With that said, a group of students at Delft University of Technology are in the process of creating what they hope to be an open source metal 3D printer, available to a wide audience, and capable of printing with decent resolutions. The printer — which basically takes an MIG (metal/inert-gas) welder and attaches it to a Prusa i3 — is already capable of printing decent sized test objects.
For those of you unfamiliar with welding, an MIG welder uses a continuous feed of wire which is melted as it acts as both a filler metal and an electrode. A shielding gas flows around the melted wire, protecting it from any sort of local contamination.
The project, which has been inspired by research and development conducted at Michigan Technological University, already seems to be off to quite a start. Basically the MIG welder is tethered to the machine where the extruder and hotend usually are located. Using the Prusa i3’s Cartesian method of printing, the welder slowly but surely melts the metal wire as it places the material down layer by layer. The wire is fed to the welder at a rate of 4 meters/minute. The travel rate of the torch according to the team’s initial settings was 300mm/minute. A typical thermoplastic-based FDM/FFF printer, in contrast, can print anywhere from 3,000 to 18,000 mm/minutes, so this is considerably slower.
Using this method, the team has been able to 3D print a wall-like structure, which is surprisingly solid, as well as uniform, which you can see from the images and video they have provided. Other circular shapes were also made.
There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done on this project; however, this certainly could act as a springboard toward affordable metal 3D printing. Let’s hear your thoughts on this project in the MIG Welder/3D Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video of the machine in action below. For further details and to follow along as the team progresses further on this project, check out their blog.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
CELLINK Bioprinter Enables Bioprinted Hair Follicles for Skin Regeneration and More
In a landmark achievement, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York have successfully 3D-printed hair follicles in lab-grown human skin tissue, marking a significant advancement in the field of...
Iowa Demolishes Its First 3D Printed Home
In May 2023, the city of Muscatine, Iowa embarked on an ambitious plan to construct 3D printed homes. The weekend before Thanksgiving, the first such home was demolished. This project,...
BICO’s Revival: A Fresh Era with Maria Forss at the Helm
Swedish biotech company BICO (STO: BICO) has been making waves in the industry recently. Ever since Maria Forss assumed the role of CEO in November 2023, the company seems to...
3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: November 26, 2023
Things are getting busy again in terms of 3D printing webinars and events! This week is the RSNA annual meeting, the World Manufacturing Forum, and more. HP is holding an...