US-based Markforged (www.markforged.com), a leading provider of metal and carbon fibre 3-D printers, has announced that Inconel 625 is now available with its Metal X system.

This easy-to-print material is highly resistant to corrosion and high temperatures; it is used for items that will be exposed to harsh environments (as seen in the chemical processing, offshore and aerospace sectors).

3-D printing Inconel 625 with Markforged is said to reduce lead times and part costs, and to eliminate many of the challenges that engineers normally face when using this material.

Jon Reilly, Markforged vice-president of product, said: “Inconel is traditionally a difficult and expensive material to work with.

"Before Markforged, many would have to wait for a contract supplier, invest significantly in mould creation or purchase a powder-based process that requires intensive facility build-outs and highly trained technicians.

Now, manufacturing with Inconel is fast, safe and affordable.”

Canada-based Nieka Systems, a manufacturer of sample preparation equipment for the mining and cement production industries, is using Inconel 625 in its automated equipment that converts ore or cement samples to glass discs.

The company has 3-D printed Inconel crucible clips to hold samples in place, while rapidly and repeatedly cycling between high and low temperatures.

The team can now print the same batch of parts in-house 10-times cheaper and in just a few days, instead of waiting four weeks for the 3-D printed parts to be delivered from a third-party supplier.

Louis Croisetiere, founder of Nieka Systems, said: “In production terms alone, the time, effort and cost savings were unbelievable.

"The metal finish is stunning, and it is easy to upload the part and get the print running. If we print five or 10 parts on Monday, we will be able to use them a few days later.”