Desktop Metal Launches Metal Binder Jetting System Made for Machine Shops

Desktop Metal has launched Shop System, a metal binder jetting system designed for machine shops and metal job shops. Shop owners can leverage affordable, high-quality binder jetting technology to print end-use metal parts with speed, print quality and productivity, the company says.

With systems starting at $150,000, this high-speed, single-pass print engine introduces high-quality binder jetting to a new market of machine shops and metal fabrication job shops, a nearly $180 billion global industry, according to Desktop Metal. With the Shop System, shop owners can eliminate many of the constraints previously seen with traditional manufacturing methods like CNC machining and tap into new opportunities to reduce their costs and increase revenue, the company adds.

With the addition of this new system, Desktop Metal’s solutions portfolio covers the full metal product lifecycle—from the office-friendly Studio System for low volume prototyping, to the Production System for mass production, and now with the Shop System, mid-volume runs of complex metal parts on the shop floor.

“Since the launch of our metal 3D printing platforms, Studio System and Production System, Desktop Metal has changed the rules of traditional metal manufacturing solutions with innovative approaches that reduce costs and significantly increase speed and print quality for our customers,” says Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder, Desktop Metal.

“Our current technology has significantly disrupted low- and high-volume production in metal manufacturing, yet there was still a real need for a robust solution that also captures mid-volume production and enables affordable, reliable and flexible batch production of complex parts for machine shops,” Fulop adds. “For the first time with the Shop System, machine shops will be able to make that a reality.”

Introducing the Shop System

The Shop System platform’s end-to-end solution, including printer, powder station and furnace, integrates with existing shop operations. Users can print end-use metal parts that span a variety of industries, including manufacturing, tooling, automotive, consumer, electronics and marine, with the surface finish and tolerances needed to co-exist with machining.

The Shop System is able to print a batch of complex parts every 6 to 12 hours, enabling tens up to hundreds of near-net-shape metal parts to be printed each day—as much as 70 kg of steel per day. Because parts on the Shop System print fully supported in their powder bed and feature hand-removable sintering setters, users will avoid hours of labor machining or wire EDM off support structures typical of laser-based systems. This in turn, reduces the total number of manufacturing steps needed, increasing shop productivity and capacity without requiring additional headcount or machinist hours.

The Shop System features a spot size of 16 microns per drop, 1,600 native single pass DPI and distributes up to 670 million drops per second. The system’s 70,000 nozzles per line have built in five times redundancy to help to avoid jet-outs resulting in enhanced quality and reliability for shop owners. A recoating system delivers powder bed uniformity for high accuracy parts.

“Shop owners have been enamored by the versatility, speed and cost reduction that binder jetting technology can provide, but until now, it hasn’t been accessible to them,” says Jonah Myerberg, co-founder and CTO, Desktop Metal, who led the technical development of the system. “The Shop System offers users the same fully-dense metal parts at an affordable price that works in harmony with machining on the shop floor.”

With variable configurations (4L, 8L, 12L and 16L), the Shop System is designed to scale to each shop’s throughput, including:

• mixed-volume production of various geometries;
• production of low volume batches; and
• mid-volume production of hundreds of parts per day.

Shop System Availability

General availability for the Shop System is fall 2020. Customers interested can purchase a system starting today. Pricing starts at $150,000 for the 4L (350x220x50 mm) and scales to $225,000 for the 16L version (350x220x200 mm).

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.