Hello,
I am wondering what are the types and costs of a direct to metal (Silver) 3D printers currently available?
Are there any models that can be purchased in the US for personal use?
Thanks!
-Alex
Printable View
Hello,
I am wondering what are the types and costs of a direct to metal (Silver) 3D printers currently available?
Are there any models that can be purchased in the US for personal use?
Thanks!
-Alex
Eos makes a pretty nice machine for doing that. It costs about $1,000,000 USD (not including the atomized silver) and gets great detail, suitable for jewelry. I'm sure they'd sell you one in the US, but you might have to check with the local authorities about installing it in your residence.
US-based 3DSystems has their ProX line of 2-laser metal printers (used to be Phenix) which you can get for as little as $700k.
If you want to make metal objects with a 3D printer and don't have a spare million or so lying around, the more economical route is to print them in a material that burns out cleanly, and use the lost-wax method to transform the patterns into metal parts. Machines that can produce the patterns with jewelry-level detail include the Solidscape machines, which print in actual wax, and the B9 Creator, which uses a photo-catalyzed resin.
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
Any idea if this 325K model is any good?
http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/0...al-3d-printer/
Most 3d printers used for printing Silver are expensive. Solidscape wax machines have an average rating of $1k and above, depending on the specifications and features you preferred. Somtimes the filaments are not included in buying the 3d printer. If you wanted to purchase high quality end 3d printers they are much more expensive.
If you can't afford to buy for a mean time you always have the option to find a 3d printing company and have your 3d model printed.
I assume wax machines print in wax and create a mold which is filled w metal
I am really trying to find the lowest price for a printer that can print in silver right away.
Hi 3dbukle,Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dbukle
I think you may need a re-think. yes you can print directly in silver, just use silver wire for the filement. your problem is that to extrude the silver onto a previous layer requires it to be molten. The melting point of silver is 961.8 °C (1763.24 F); you are going to need a ceramic heating tip and possibly a gas torch to supply the heat.
It will make an interesting printer (especially thinking about what the bed needs to be made from).
Of cause you could use silver powder and a laser, or ultrasound, to create strong enough bonds in the silver.
it will be interesting to know how you get on.
The idea of printing directly in molten silver doesn't seem too promising. It doesn't have the same consistency as plastic when it's melted. The phase transition is rather abrupt: it's either solid or it's liquid, and would just run off the solidified part below. There would also be a layer of oxide between the solidified part and the liquid, so it won't form a bond. Also, in small quantities, liquid silver tends to form spheres due to surface tension, so it won't lay down smoothly.
Powder-bed printers don't have all these problems, although I'm not sure there are any that use silver, possibly because of the oxidation problem alluded to above. Gold and titanium are used, though.
If you really hate the idea of casting and want to print directly in silver, your best bet is to find a machine like the Hyrel, which has extruders for paste-like materials, and use PMC (Precious Metal Clay) in it. This material, when fired in a kiln, becomes fairly solid metal, although it shrinks quite a bit in the firing process. The PMC, though, is quite a bit more expensive than the same volume of solid metal.
Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com