Production method of 3D-printed metal powder

       

We all know that the material needed for 3D printing metal is 3D printing metal powder, so how do these powders come from? If you don’t know it doesn’t matter, let Xinshan give you some popular science knowledge.

    There are mainly indirect and direct methods for making 3D printing metal powders. Since the indirect method is relatively more mature, most companies also use the indirect method to make 3D printing metal powders.

     Since polymers have a relatively low softening temperature and have good thermoplasticity and low viscosity, polymers are often used as adhesives. The polymer is coated on the surface of the 3D printing metal powder or mixed with the 3D printing metal powder in some form. When using sls, laser heating is used to melt the polymer, and then the polymer will slowly be on the metal The particles flow between the particles, and after a period of time, the metal becomes a mold under the promotion of the polymer.

Thermoplastic polymer materials can be divided into two major categories, namely amorphous polymer materials and crystalline polymer materials, both of which are more suitable as binders in SLS materials. Because amorphous and crystalline materials have different thermal properties, and thus determine the different parameters of the SLS process. The main polymer in the molding material will exist in two different forms, one is the mechanical mixing of polymer powder and metal powder, and the other polymer is uniformly coated on the surface of the metal particles. There are many methods for covering polymer on 3D printing metal, but the most common one is to melt the polymer and mix it with metal powder for a certain degree of stirring, and finally wait for the 3D printing metal to dry.



     This is the end of today's indirect production method of 3D printed metal. If you are interested in this aspect, then Shanghai Xinshan will show you the direct method next time.