ExOne Metal 3D Printing Adoption Center Surpasses 2 Million Parts

• ExOne will continue offering the company’s most popular and affordable 3D printed metal – now named X1 Metal 420i™ – available in a dozen custom finishes and durable enough for use in plastic injection molding and other tooling applications
• The newly renovated Adoption Center operates 24-7 with 28 metal 3D printers and about a dozen furnaces, including a high-capacity Elnik batch furnace and a continuous furnace

ExOne, the global leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, has surpassed delivery of 2 million metal parts to customers worldwide and has added two X1 25Pro metal printers for dedicated production of stainless steel parts.

Located outside of Pittsburgh, the ExOne Adoption Center produces offers 24-7 metal 3D printing services on more than two dozen metal 3D printers for industrialExOne’s recently renovated Metal 3D Printing Adoption Center outside Pittsburgh features about a dozen furnaces including a new all-metal Elnik MIM3045 debind and sinter furnace. With 4.5 cubic feet of volume, the furnace offers hydrogen, argon, nitrogen and vacuum processing atmospheres suitable for a wide range of materials. The furnace allows ExOne to simulate full-size production operations to customers who want to adopt binder jetting for high-volume production. customers and service bureaus such as Shapeways, Sculpteo, Xometry and more. 

ExOne’s metal 3D production facility has been in continuous operation since 2005 and has now produced more than 2 million parts in a wide range of metals, with production picking up following the 2016 launch of the company’s patented Triple Advanced Compaction Technology (ACT). 

Now featured on all ExOne production metal printers, Triple ACT uses an exclusive method of dispensing, spreading and compacting ultra-fine metal powders during binder jetting – delivering metal parts with industry-leading density, accuracy, and repeatability.

Two new X1 25Pro printers with Triple ACT have now been installed in the ExOne Adoption Center and are dedicated to running two stainless steel materials for customers: 17-4PH and 316L. The 25Pro was designed for high-volume production and has a build area of 400 x 250 x 250 mm (15.75 x 9.84 x 9.84 in), enabling it to 3D print a wide range of part sizes.

Popular Metals with Programmable Porosity

Aside from 316L and 17-4PH, ExOne offers a variety of other single-alloy metals, including 304L, M2 Tool Steel, Inconel 718, 6061 Aluminum, Copper, and more. 

However, the company’s most popular material continues to be X1 Metal 420i – a metal matrix composite made up of 60% 420 stainless steel that is 40% infiltrated with bronze, one of the earliest metals ever processed on ExOne printers. This material is highly durable and is being used for industrial and tooling applications, such as plastic injection molding and blow molding. Additionally, it’s the most popular and affordable material option for consumer goods, such as jewelry, where it’s popular for a dozen unique finishes such as gold, nickel, and matte black.

ExOne also offers an easier-to-machine matrix material X1 Metal 316i™ that is 60% 316 stainless steel that is 40% infiltrated with bronze. This material also offers enhanced corrosion resistance properties.

A unique feature of ExOne’s binder jetting technology is the ability to 3D print metal parts with a specific level of porosity, which is helpful for filtration, tooling, and other applications.

What is Binder Jet 3D Printing?

Widely regarded as the fastest method of metal 3D printing for high-volume output, binder jetting is highly similar to paper printing. An industrial inkjet printhead selectively deposits a binder into a bed of powder particles creating a solid part one thin layer at a time.

Binder jetting can create 3D objects in metal, sand, ceramic or other powders. When printing metals, the final part must be sintered in order to fuse the particles together into a high-density solid object.

ExOne has qualified more than 20 metal, ceramic, and composite materials for its binder jetting process. More than half of those materials are single-alloy metals, such as 17-4PH, 316L, 304L, M2 Tool Steel, Inconel 718, and more. Most recently, ExOne announced that 6061 aluminum is now a Customer-Qualified material, and titanium is now fast-tracked for qualification in partnership with a global medical device firm.

To have your part metal 3D printed with ExOne technology, contact one of our service bureau partners or visit www.exone.com/quickship for more information.