NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ExOne Company (Nasdaq: XONE), the global leader in industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, today announced that it is open to developing virtually any powder material in partnership with manufacturers for their specific application.
The material flexibility and sustainability of ExOne’s patented binder jet 3D printing technology is showcased in a new corporate video unveiled today, “Let’s Make it Right.” The video is a celebration of ExOne’s employees and their accomplishments over more than 20 years as the company prepares to be acquired by Desktop Metal.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, ExOne pioneered the commercial development of MIT’s patented binder jet 3D printing process, which transforms powdered materials into precision parts or tooling at high speeds. An industrial printhead selectively deposits binder into a bed of powder particles creating a solid part one layer at a time, just like printing on sheets of paper.
The company’s RTS-300, launched in 1998, was the first commercially available metal binder jet system. ExOne later began binder jetting sand for metalcasting molds and cores. Today, ExOne has a portfolio of eight sand and metal 3D printing systems that can print a wide range of powders into highly dense parts, or even parts with controlled porosity, for specific applications.
“Binder jet 3D printing is one of the few additive manufacturing technologies that holds the promise of being an all-purpose manufacturing tool; it can print just about any powdered material into any form or functional purpose. In recent years, advancements in machine design and binder chemistries have helped us take a leap closer to that ultimate goal,” said Rick Lucas, ExOne Chief Technology Officer and VP of New Markets. “We are thankful to all of our former and current employees, as well as our R&D partners around the world, who have helped us advance binder jetting to where it is today and continue to support development efforts around this important green technology.”
Unique Material Flexibility in 3D Printing
Binder jetting is viewed as a desirable and sustainable production method, largely because of its high speed, low waste and cost, as well as broad material flexibility, which is just beginning to be untapped because of ExOne’s improvements in machine design and binder chemistries.
To achieve high-density parts, such as metals, the printed part is typically sintered in a furnace to fuse the particles together into a high-density solid object. Porous parts, often created with sand or other large-particle media, can also be infiltrated with resins or metals to achieve desired properties and create unique composites.
Two new case studies illustrate the broad range of ExOne’s binder jetting technology beyond traditional industrial applications:
ExOne’s resin-infiltrated sand 3D printing for architectural restoration was a finalist in the 2021 Awards for Composites Excellence at CAMX, the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo.
Full Flexibility of Binder Jet 3D Printing
Among the broad categories of materials that ExOne can now develop to manufacturer specifications:
ExOne’s new corporate video is available at www.exone.com/MakeitRight.
About ExOne
ExOne (Nasdaq: XONE) is the pioneer and global leader in binder jet 3D printing technology. Since 1995, we’ve been on a mission to deliver powerful 3D printers that solve the toughest problems and enable world-changing innovations. Our 3D printing systems quickly transform powder materials — including metals, ceramics, composites and sand — into precision parts, metalcasting molds and cores, and innovative tooling solutions. Industrial customers use our technology to save time and money, reduce waste, improve their manufacturing flexibility, and deliver designs and products that were once impossible. As home to the world’s leading team of binder jetting experts, ExOne also provides specialized 3D printing services, including on-demand production of mission-critical parts, as well as engineering and design consulting. Learn more about ExOne at www.exone.com or on Twitter at @ExOneCo. We invite you to join with us to #MakeMetalGreen™.
