Desktop Metal, a ‘global leader’ in additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for mass production that is based in Burlington, Massachusetts, has qualified the use of Inconel 625 for its Studio System 2, a turnkey metal 3-D printing platform that offers customers ‘an easy way’ to print high-performance metal parts in low volumes for pre-production and end-use applications.
This latest development means that Desktop Metal’s Studio System platform now offers ‘more materials than any other metal extrusion 3-D printing system’ — a total of eight in all. In addition to Inconel 625, Studio System users can now print titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, copper, AISI 4140 alloy steel, H13 and D2 tool steels, as well as 17-4PH and 316L stainless steels.
Ric Fulop, Desktop Metal’s founder and CEO, said: “The Studio System 2, which features our streamlined and easy-to-use two-step process, remains the most flexible metal 3-D printer in its class. It has never been more important for manufacturers to have the agility of on-site on-demand metal production, and the Studio System is a perfect gateway into metal 3-D printing for production.
“Adding Inconel 625 to the portfolio only amplifies the flexibility of this proven system, particularly as this high-performance nickel alloy is a popular material choice for applications in the aerospace, chemical processing, and offshore energy industries.
“However, the strength of Inconel 625 is also what makes it a difficult and expensive material to machine into complex shapes. Producing parts in this material with the Studio System 2 is fast, safe, and affordable. Users can directly print and sinter final, end-use parts or near-net-shape parts that can be precision machined for key surfaces with ease.”