MATTERFAB TO PRODUCE AFFORDABLE 3D METAL PRINTER

US Based Start-Up Launches Affordable 3D metal printing

MatterFab a metal 3D printing start-up in the US is developing a low-cost metal 3D printer. The company envisages it will be able to produce a 3D printer that is an order of magnitude cheaper than current metal printers, which typically range from the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. CEO and co-founder Matt Burris came upon the idea for a low-cost printer from spending time in his dad’s CNC shop. There he witnessed firsthand the movement of 3D printing into traditional manufacturing and reasoned that he could build a cheaper type of 3D printer.

In order to proceed with his idea, Burris first needed to conduct a minimum viability test. To this end he secured a low-powered laser on eBay and set about testing his concept. With this laser he was able to demonstrate the ability to melt different metals, such as bronze and stainless steel. Burris’ concept printer has taken this step to the next level and works by fusing layer upon layer of metal in a controllable pattern to build metal parts. Timing is also crucial, in recent years high precision sensors and other 3D printing core components have drastically fallen in price. This makes it possible to build a lower cost, but very effective 3D printer.

MatterFab hope to begin shipping test machines to testing partners by early next year. This will allow its development team to iron out any bugs and perfect the machine’s design. At this stage the company has not released an estimated price, but we know the printer can print stainless steel at about $120/kg. The applications of this machine are practically infinite, anything from injection molds to non essential aircraft parts. Only time will tell if MatterFab can reach the right balance between performance and price to attract enough people to buy its machine. Definitely one to watch for the future!