Low cost 3D printing of metals using filled polymer pellets

Nowadays, additive manufacturing of metallic materials is carried out using expensive and complex tools that leave the user with limited control and no possibility of modification. In order to make the printing of metal parts more accessible to small structures but also better suited for academic research, the use of a mixture of polymer and metal powder is a good solution as many feedstocks already exist in pellet form for metal injection molding applications. To achieve the shaping process the fused deposition modeling 3D printing technology is set up with a feedstock in the form of pellets that are directly inserted in the print head. This solution, which is less costly, is implemented by modifying a mid-range printer and by making the hardware and software adaptations to mount on it a granulates extruder, which is also available on the market. The polymer portion present in the green part can then be removed in order to perform the heat treatments that will solidify the powder by sintering and give a fully metallic dense object.