Introduction to Binder Jetting 3D Printing - Makenica

Binder jetting 3D Printing service in India requires no support structures, is accurate and repeatable, and is said to eliminate dimensional distortion problems common in some high-heat 3D technologies. Here is a look at how binder jetting works and its benefits for additive manufacturing.

What Is Binder Jetting?

Binder Jetting Online 3D Printing India is an additive manufacturing process in which a liquid binding agent is selectively deposited to join powder particles. Layers of material are then bonded to form an object. The printhead strategically drops the binder into the powder. The job box lowers and another layer of powder is then spread and binder is added. Over time, the part develops through the layering of powder and binder.

Binder Jetting is capable of printing a variety of materials including metals, sands and ceramics. Some materials, like sand, require no additional processing. Other materials are typically cured and sintered and sometimes infiltrated with another material, depending on the application. Hot isostatic pressing may be employed to achieve high densities in solid metals.

Binder Jetting is similar to traditional paper printing. The binder functions like the ink as it moves across the layers of powder, which like paper, forms the final product. Due to its ability to produce solid layers, Binder Jetting is often considered the best option for online 3D printing India. Binder Jetting 3D Printing service in India also has the ability to print very large objects. Room sized architectural structures have been printed with Binder Jetting.

How Does Binder Jetting Work?

First, a recoating blade spreads a thin layer of powder over the machine’s build platform. Next, the printhead (a carriage with inkjet nozzles, similar to those used in desktop 2D printers) precisely jets the binding agent into the powder according to the part’s geometry.

When the binder layer is complete, the build platform lowers, and the recoating blade spreads a fresh layer of powder across the platform and top of the part being printed. The printhead binds another layer and this process repeats until the part is complete. 

Finally, the part is cured while still encased in powder. The entire build box is then removed from the machine and loose powder is blown away with compressed air in a controlled environment. These green parts may be processed further to impart desired porosity and mechanical properties.

Because binder jet online 3D Printing Bangalore is performed at room temperature, the process avoids dimensional distortions common to high-heat 3D printing processes, such as warping or curling. If sintering is required, only the bonded powder that forms the parts is subjected to the heat of the furnace, so leftover loose powder can be recycled without fear of degradation.

What Post Processing Is Required?

Because the loose sand itself is the only support necessary for parts as they are being printed, support removal is not a typical post processing step for binder jetting. Many parts made via binder jetting 3D Printing service in India, including sand casting cores and molds, typically require no additional processing and are ready to use in the green state after binder jetting.

Green parts are sometimes infiltrated with another material to strengthen them without sintering. However, most binder jetted parts are cured and placed in a sintering furnace to bond the powder metal and burn away the binder. This burn-off method causes shrinkage that must be accounted for in part design and limits the recommended part size. 

The sintering process results in an average surface roughness fine enough for many end-use parts and features without further processing. Sandblasting and polishing can enhance the surface finish when necessary. Hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) may be employed to achieve high densities and reduce porosity in solid metals and some ceramics.

Binder jetting machines offer larger build volumes than many powder-bed technologies of online 3D Printing Bangalore and make it possible to stack multiple layers of parts on top of each other in the build box. Parts made this way can be nested within all three dimensions of the printer’s build volume, enabling parallel manufacturing of multiple parts at the same time. 

Materials used in binder jetting tend to be more affordable and more easily recycled than those used in other powder-based AM processes, which translates to cost savings and competitive part pricing. The technology is also accurate and repeatable, making it suitable for serial production of small, precise parts.

How does Binder Jetting differ from other additive techniques?

There are various methods of Online 3D Printing India in existence, and there is often confusion amongst the many offerings. Many of these techniques of 3D Printing service in India center around building parts through a melting or welding process – using lasers or melted material – to fuse each layer together. 

These processes typically require a build plate to be added to the part for part stability throughout the build process. Such processes of online 3D Printing Bangalore require significantly more material. The build process itself is also time-intensive.

Binder Jetting is unique in that it does not employ heat during the build process. Other additive techniques utilize a heat source which can create residual stresses in the parts. These stresses must be relieved in a secondary post-processing operation. 

Additionally with Binder Jetting 3D Printing service in India, the parts are supported by the loose powder in the job box, thus eliminating the need for a build plate. Spreading speeds for Binder Jetting continue to significantly outperform other processes. Binder Jetting has the ability to print large parts and is often more cost-effective than other additive manufacturing methods.

Binder jetting introduced a faster and novel way to create metal parts in an additive process as compared to existing technologies of online 3D Printing Bangalore such as laser sintering. PBF processes were among the first additive technologies but the high costs and slow build times prompted the need for a higher volume technology that could be cost competitive. 

The binder jetting machines represented a cost reduction when compared to PBF machine costs, and the throughput proved to be higher as well. The inkjet print heads offer a high level of precision and parts can be created with minute details. The build volume with binder jetting is moderate and comparable to other technologies.

• Lower cost than PBF
• Fast process
• Established process

Due to use of composite materials and binding methods, the material characteristics are not always suitable for structural parts. Also, despite the relatively high printing speed, the surface finish usually requires post processing and can add significant time and cost to the overall process. 

Often, a different metal is added to the part to stabilize it during the sintering process to prevent shrinkage when making larger parts. This metal is typically bronze and the process is called infiltration. If printing in 17-4PH stainless steel for example, up to 40% of a binder jetted part will be bronze infiltrated. 

This has significant implications on material properties and often precludes parts created with binder jetting from being used in many production applications. The need for infiltration is perhaps the single biggest reason for binder jetting 3D Printing service in India did not see widespread adoption when it first debuted.

• Non-engineering material composite
• Degrading inkjet process
• Significant part shrinkage without infiltration
• Parts are lower in density

Applications of Binder Jetting – Metal 3D Printing

While bronze infiltration might scare away engineers from trusting binder jetted parts in production, the technology has been receiving a lot of attention from new companies looking to put their own spin on binder jetting and push it to its full potential. 

For smaller parts that do not require infiltration, binder jetting online 3D Printing Bangalore can be a very attractive option due to the high speed and detail they are able to achieve while offering lower cost parts than laser sintering. Binder jetting is in a good position for high-volume, low-cost applications.

FAQs

Actually, with early adopter industries like aerospace and medical who are a little further along with additive serial production, the shift to a factory solution approach is more common place. This need for repeatability and reliability is a good indication of how additives are maturing and become more widely-accepted in industry.

You often hear automotive and Binder Jet together – why do they complement each other?
Aerospace and medical industries are the primary users of metal additive manufacturing today because there are limited opportunities in other industries to produce economically viable parts at scale.  Binder Jet technology’s capital cost to throughput ratio, as well as a significantly lower raw material cost, changes that, enabling it to take on traditional manufacturing techniques head-on in the largest manufacturing segments.  

Marry all of that with a massive shift going on in automotive, and you have a true game changer.  Enabling additive design for mass production in automotive unlocks the ability to create novel solutions in engine efficiency, electrification, and NOx reduction.  While addressing the big issues we face today, additives can reduce inventory and transform traditional supply chains.

What’s the go-to-market strategy for Binder Jet?
The shift from prototyping to serial production is already well underway in several sectors. So, it’s only right for us to set realistic expectations with customers looking to invest in Binder Jet – again, especially in the automotive sector – and only bring solutions to the market, that we know are reliable and can have a business impact from day one.  

Makenica

Our customer service is what separates us from other 3D Printing service in India. Not only upfront but also when a part modification is required. With everything under one roof, the changes can happen fast, and the customer receives their parts with minimal downtime.

All of the Design Engineers at Makenica have a wealth of experience designing models and building them. This background gives our in-house team the ability to find creative solutions to even the most challenging design manufacturing problems of online 3D Printing Bangalore.

If you need high-volume, custom, 3D printed parts, please contact us.

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