ABSTRACT
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is an MIT-licensed process, whereby liquid binder is jetted onto a powder media using ink-jets to “print” a physical part from CAD data. Extrude Hone Corporation incorporates the 3DP process into the Pro Metal system. The Pro Metal system is directed toward building injection tools and dies, as the powder used is steel based and durable enough to withstand high pressure and temperature. Models are built up from bottom to top with layers of the steel powder and a polymeric binder, printed in the shape of the cross sections of the part. The resulting “green” model is then sintered and infiltrated with bronze to give the part dexterity and full density. The Pro Metal system is one of only a few rapid prototyping (RP) processes to have metal material capability.
