Mitsubishi Machine adds binder-jet 3D printing to metal AM offerings

Images: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool Co. Ltd. (MHIMT) has expanded the metal additive manufacturing services it offers. Besides building large-scale parts on DED (directed energy deposition)-style 3D printers, the company will begin printing smaller metal parts on binder-jet 3D printers.

The expanded service will enable MHIMT to manufacture metal parts ranging from 1 mm to 1-plus m.

MHIMT’s new binder-jet printer is a DMP2500 from Digital Metal, a member of the Hogänäs AB family of companies. The printer is engineered for high-volume production.

DED is an AM process in which focused thermal energy is used to continuously, precisely feed metal powder, via a nozzle, to laser fusing points. Binder jetting is a process in which a nozzle selectively sprays a binder onto a thin layer of metal powder, causing solidification. Binder removal and sintering is then carried out to achieve the final product.

Examples of binder-jet and DED 3D-printed parts.