Exone announces collaboration with ansys to develop simulation software for sintering of 3d printed metal parts

The exone company and ansys have entered into a collaboration to develop software that predicts the sintering behavior of binder jetted metal parts. a beta software release for 316l stainless steel is targeted for the first quarter of 2020, with modeling software for other materials expected to follow. binder jetting is a mature 3d printing process that uses a digital file to quickly inkjet a binder into a bed of powder particles — metal, sand or ceramic — creating a solid part one layer at a time. when printing metals, the final part must be sintered in order to fuse the particles together into a solid object. compared to other manufacturing methods, binder jetting is a fast and low-waste method of making precision metal parts and products. what’s more, it offers new design freedoms not previously possible. while sintering metal powders is a common manufacturing process, the design freedom now offered by 3d printing is creating new challenges in sintering green metal parts that deliver predictable dimensional tolerances and meet other requirements. the new software under development aims to better predict how parts will behave during sintering, so that adjustments can be made or automated to achieve desired results. what’s more, the software will be used to refine exone’s patented process of 3d printing sintering setters in alumina, a fine ceramic material known for high heat resistance. setters are used during sintering to support some geometric features during the sintering process.
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