Turn any 3D printer into your own personal foundry
The Virtual Foundry’s Filamet™ lets users print with metal any 3D printer
The plan is to see exactly how far we can take FDM Metal printing in both quality and scale.”
MADISON, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES, January 24, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Madison, WI — Entrepreneurs aim to bring 3D printed metal to a wider user group.— Bradley Woods
Bradley Woods of The Virtual Foundry has developed a budget-friendly line of 3D printing materials called Filamet™, currently available in copper, with more metals planned for release later this year. The material is sold in rolls and bulk pellets.
A highly infused 3-D printing filament, Filamet™ is inexpensive, doesn’t require a pricey printer, and can produce stunning results far beyond standard acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or poly lactic acid (PLA) plastic output. It’s flexible enough to satisfy a range of uses, and, combined with fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, produces attractive and unique prints with a satisfying weight. Once printed, the objects polish to a finish that’s indiscernible from metal, secondary processing using a kiln produces a pure metal print. Woods spent three years developing and refining Filamet™, which can be used to produce dense metal components that can be cut with a diamond band saw.
Printed Filamet™ products are “absolutely pure metal,” said Woods. “The kiln-firing process takes about 4.5 hours. The final product has the same physical, electrical, and thermal properties as copper.” Woods added that their high-purity printing filament products currently run at about 90 percent metal when complete. The firm hopes to be running at a theoretical maximum purity of 93 percent later this year.
Shrinkage levels for the pure metal prints are low, around 1.5 percent. ”It is about the same as typical casting methods used in various industries,” said Woods. “The shrinkage is also very consistent and can be easily accounted for in your 3D print.”
Working with 3D printed metal using Filamet™ is restricted only by the capability of the FDM printer; the material already shows promise for use in Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) printers. Other potential applications are in the energy and power generation markets. “We’re starting to experiment with higher-end printers,” said Woods. “The plan is to see exactly how far we can take FDM printing in both quality and scale.”
Filamet™ can be purchased directly and from retailers worldwide. For more information, go to www.thevirtualfoundry.com.
About The Virtual Foundry
The Virtual Foundry is the creation of Bradley Woods. Born from a Kickstarter campaign, the company seeks to provide the ability to create high-quality metal sculpture, jewelry, and any other printable objects, without requiring a complete, high-end metals studio. For more information, go to www.thevirtualfoundry.com.
Bradley Woods
The Virtual Foundry, llc.
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