BCN3D METAL PACK

The Metal Pack is an update of the current Epsilon series that opens up a new range of applications for BCN3D customers, especially for spare parts, functional prototyping and tools, and is mainly aimed at the pharmaceutical, food, automotive, aerospace and manufacturing sectors . sectors. Parts produced by this process behave virtually identical to those produced by MIM or CNC and offer an office-friendly solution with much more design freedom.

Compatible with Epsilon series (Epsilon W50 and W50SC, Epsilon W27 and W27SC)

The Metal Pack is an update of the current Epsilon series that opens up a new range of applications for BCN3D customers, especially for spare parts, functional prototyping and tools, and is mainly aimed at the pharmaceutical, food, automotive, aerospace and manufacturing sectors . sectors. Parts produced by this process behave virtually identical to those produced by MIM or CNC and offer an office-friendly solution with much more design freedom.

The Metal Pack includes both Ultrafuse® 316L and 17-4 PH and a new exclusive metal hotend, as well as specific accessories, to ensure a smooth printing experience. BCN3D has created a new metal print profile for the BCN3D Stratos slicer which avoids the internal tensions of the printed part during the printing process. After printing, the debinding and sintering processes can be performed outsourced through Forward AM's current network of authorized service providers.

The Ultrafuse® metal filament portfolio was developed on the basis of BASF's decades of know-how in the metal injection molding (MIM) industry.

How does the process work?

The process is divided into 3 steps: printing a part on BCN3D Epsilon 3D printers, followed by industry standardized debinding and sintering, performed outsourced through Forward AM's current network of authorized suppliers. The result is a final part that is nearly 100% solid stainless steel.

For the printing process, Ultrafuse® 316L and 17-4 PH filaments contain high levels of stainless steel in combination with polymer binders that allow for easy printing. The binder content from the molded part is removed through a catalytic debinding process. In the next step, the part undergoes a subsequent sintering process at temperatures just below the melting temperature of the metal, which causes the metal particles to coalescence. The material then reaches its final state through post-sintering, where it achieves the required performance in aspects such as hardness and strength.

Recommended BCN3D and BASF D&S suppliers offering sintering and debinding services are:

Elnik (Europe):

• Elnik starts processing orders on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. To meet this schedule, parties must arrive no later than the Friday immediately prior to the scheduled ride.
• Elnik charges per Kg, which means you have to buy as many tickets as the Kg you are sending.
• Your parts must meet the requirements of the BASF guidelines which Elnik strictly follows, otherwise they will be rejected.

CMG (UK & Europe):

• CMG runs D&S cycles almost every week. They have one of the fastest delivery times on the market.
• CMG charges based on the space occupied in the oven, which means that the cost will depend on how much space your parts will take up.
• They allow dewaxing and sintering of parts up to 200mm x 300mm x 100mm and are open to discussion of even larger parts.
• They provide a variety of post-processing services, including machining and polishing.

For more information on metal workflow, read the following guidelines from our customer support team: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/3d-printing-metal-workflow

Design requirements and guidelines

• How to print 316L: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/316l-filament
• 316L tips and tricks: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/316l-bcn3d-tips
• How to print 17-4PH: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/17-4ph-filament
• 17-4 PH, tips and tricks: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/17-4-ph-bcn3d-tips

In the following guidelines of the manufacturer BASF you will learn about:

• Process workflow
• Debinding simulation
• Part orientation
• Shrinkage and sintering distortion
• Supports “not just for printing”
• Debinding and sintering
• Post production

Video training from basf

• Module 1: Introducing Metal 3D Printing
• Module 2: Process
• Module 3: Design guidelines
• Module 4: Simulation Services

Property

We have carried out several tests at BCN3D to properly understand the final results that can be achieved with our printers. Below are the best results we've gotten with metal. We highly recommend creating your own iterations to get the right accuracy on your specific project to compensate for shrinkage:

Density achieved with the Epsilon Series: 7.74 out of 7.85 g/cm3 (98.59%).

Shrinkage with Epsilon Series: 19% XY / 24% Z (depends on geometry).

Maximum precision achieved with the Epsilon series: up to ±0.09 mm XY / ±0.04 mm Z.

In the table below you can find the differences between 316-L and 17-4PH:

Post-processing of metal parts

Metal stamped parts can be treated in the same way steel fabricated parts are treated in the traditional way, creating a wide range of possibilities to improve the finish of the part.

In this article we explain the different processes you can perform on your parts to improve the surface quality: https://support.bcn3d.com/knowledge/postprocess-metal-parts