Minnesota MIM shop offers binder-jet 3D printing and other services

Binder-jet 3D printing is one service Smith Metal offers. Smith Metal

Among the services Smith Metal Products offers are metal injection molding (MIM), design for manufacturability consultation, in-house metallurgical services, and 3D printing on an ExOne Innovent+ metal binder-jet system.

The Center City, Minn., shop, founded in 1957, says binder jetting lets customers evaluate and verify their product run utilizing a MIM-like process without the cost of building a test mold.

The shop binder-jets parts from the same materials it uses to produce MIM parts, including low-alloy steels, stainless steel, most ferrous metals, and titanium. The printer can make parts up to 3 in. long by 0.25 in. thick that weigh up to 100 g.

According to the company, binder jetting is the only form of powder-metal 3D printing in which the part is fully formed before thermal energy is applied to sinter or fuse the metal particles. This helps ensure the desired microstructure of the final part.

During binder jetting, a liquid binding agent is sprayed onto a thin layer of powder-metal particles. The part is built one layer at a time, then it’s cured and sintered at a high temperature. Sintering removes 100% of the binder.