Filament 3D Printing

Starting point / motivation

Today, AM (additive manufacturing) processes, in particular selective laser sintering and also electron beam sintering/melting, are increasingly used for the production of metallic prototypes or complex components.

In addition to a number of advantages (for example, directly producing complex geometries as one single piece), these methods also show a number of disadvantages, which are in particular resulting in the high maintenance and investment costs for laser and electron beam systems, requiring the use of starting powders with special morphology and grain size and only a limited variety of materials available.

Contents and goals

The aim of this project is - based on already existing equipment from the plastics and metal injection molding industry - to develop two different 3D printing processes, including materials therefor, which are able to produce so-called metallic or ceramic green bodies. From these, by applying subsequent thermal processes, compact prototypes can be developed, and components produced with complex geometry shall be available.

Expected results

The objectives of the project can be summarized as follows: 

• Adaptation of a filament and feedstock 3D printer for the use of abrasive filaments / feedstocks
• Development of filaments for metallic and ceramic materials
• Process development for four selected materials including the entire process chain consisting of printing, debindering and sintering
• Showing the feasibility on demonstrators including testing and analysis of the demonstrators

Coordinator

RHP-Technology

Project partner

EVO-tech GmbH

Research and technology center
DI Michael Kitzmantel
A-2444 Seibersdorf