Since launching its N Series of 3D printers in 2015, Raise3D has continued to raise the bar in the industry. On the heels of launching its E2CF for carbon fiber printing, the company announced that it will be releasing a fully integrated solution for 3D metal printing with its MetalFuse system.
Set to be available in the first half of 2022, MetalFuse was developed with BASF Forward AM and uses Ultrafuse Metal Filaments. This collaboration has resulted in the first fused filament fabrication (FFF) solution that features an oxalic acid catalytic debinding method. The debinding process occurs in a gaseous environment in which the oxalic acid debinds parts by decomposing the binders, making it a process that is safer, faster and more environmentally friendly. This gives manufacturers a single in-house solution instead of relying on metal injection molding (MIM) methods that often require dealing with third parties.
“The collaboration with BASF Forward AM is a milestone in Raise3D’s history, and a solid step toward our vision of offering a perfect ecosystem to facilitate flexible manufacturing,” said Edward Feng, Raise3D founder and CEO. “Our Raise3D MetalFuse system combined with Ultrafuse Metal Filaments from BASF Forward AM offers a solution to additive manufacturing of metal parts that are easier, safer, cleaner, cheaper and faster than the current AM metal parts productions, making it accessible to everyone using those solutions. In many cases, we have also confirmed that Raise3D MetalFuse can be competitive with MIM, which makes us confident that MetalFuse can represent a breakthrough in metal parts production.”
Ideal for creating tooling, jigs, fixtures, prototypes and small-batch production—perhaps even medium-batch production, according to the company—the system includes a Forge 1 desktop metal 3D printer, a unit with the D200-E catalytic debinding furnace and S200-C sintering furnace, and ideaMaker metal slicer. The latter is an updated version of the original machine that makes it possible to use Ultrafuse Metal Filaments, enabling the creation of high-quality end parts with optimal density and repeatability.
The ability to use filaments provides numerous benefits. Along with being safe and easy to handle, in contrast to powder-based options, these filaments cost up to two times less and minimize any hardware investments. The catalytic method used for printing reduces debinding time by 60 percent and increases part density to 98 percent of wrought iron’s density and yield strength by 52 percent, compared to solvent methods.
When it comes to complex parts, existing solutions are often costly or nearly impossible to create. FFF provides additional design freedom and enhances the mechanical properties, which are MIM quality compliant, of the parts being printed.
“Metal FFF offers a great advantage to the customers; it is affordable, easy to use and eliminates a very complex step in comparison to other Metal AM techniques like powder handling,” said Firat Hizal, head of Metal Systems Business Group at BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “MIM technology can be the best solution to manufacture parts in large volumes, whereas Metal FFF can be used to produce more sophisticated designs in small and medium-sized batches.”