3d metal printing

[Tin Falcon]

A new 3d printer filament company called sinterhard is introducing filament that will allow the printing of a solid metal part with a filament 3d printer.
Unlike other metal fills we have seen this is designed to be post processed in a furnace to make a usable metal part.
Initial offerings are in aluminum and 316 stainless. a $50 kick starter investment will get you a 1 lb roll of filament.

http://www.3ders.org//articles/20150409-kickstarter-campaign-launched-for-exciting-sinterhard-metal-filled-3d-printer-filaments.html

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1093108121/sinterhard-metal-filled-filaments-for-3d-printing/description

Tin

 

[aonemarine]

Hmmm, interesting......first instinct. ....snake oil......but ill try anything once.

 

[Cogsy]

Snake oil could be right. They mention removing/dissolving the ABS with acetone and the PLA with water (is solid PLA dissolvable in water?) leaving the part behind ready to fire in an atmospherically controlled furnace. But if the product is just metal powder mixed into the plastic binder, then you remove the binder, I assume you'd have a small pile of powder rather than a part. As described it sounds dubious but it could be an overly simplistic blurb I guess.

 

[aonemarine]

Pla will dissolve in water, in about 100 years give or take.
The problem i see is the plastic to metal ratio of the filament. Its unlikely they can get over 40% metal fill and have a printable material. Most metal fill filament s produced currently are only about 20% iirc.