Desktop Metal, a Massachusetts-based firm “committed to making metal 3-D printing accessible to manufacturers and engineers”, has launched a 316L stainless steel for its Studio System — an office-friendly metal 3-D printing system for prototyping and low-volume production.

A fully austenitic steel known for its corrosion-resistance and excellent mechanical properties at extreme temperatures, 316L is well-suited to applications in the most demanding industrial environments, including salt water in marine applications, caustic cleaners found in food-processing environments, and chemicals in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal (www.desktopmetal.com), said: “The addition of 316L enables engineers to print metal components for a wide range of applications, including engine parts, laboratory equipment, pulp and paper manufacturing, medical devices, chemical and petrochemical processing, kitchen appliances and jewellery — and even cryogenic tools and equipment. Teams are now able to iterate quickly on 316L prototypes, print complex geometries that are not possible with most manufacturing methods, and produce end-use parts cost-effectively.”

Early applications of 316L parts printed with the Studio System include combustion-fuel nozzles for marine tankers, such as the UHT Atomizer manufactured by John Zink Hamworthy Combustion; this is a fuel oil atomiser for use with an atomising medium (such as steam or air), and is typically installed in HXG marine burners used on steam propulsion boilers on LNG tankers.

Printed with the Studio System, the atomiser has been radically redesigned to function in a more fuel-efficient manner than those produced using traditional metal-working methods.

Another application of this material is customised ring splints for medical use. These devices are designed to immobilise or limitthe range of motion of injured limbs and have typically been made of injection-moulded plastic in standard sizes, but such parts often break after a relatively short lifetime.

Now, by 3-D printing in 316L, ring splints can be custom-printed on demand to the desired size, with the added benefit of an aesthetic finish and increased durability.

Commonly used in a variety of industries, impellers are an essential component of pumps to move fluid through systems. Impellers require complex vanes to optimise pressures in the pump for different fluids and applications.

With chemical impellers, 316L is the choice material for its chemical resistance and mechanical properties at extreme temperatures, such as those found in cryogenic, salt-water and petroleum pumps.

Mr Fulop said: “Impellers are geometrically complex, with prototypes typically costing $1,000 or more.

“With the Studio System, a typical impeller was printed in 316L for $70.”