The Virtual Foundry Democratizes Metal 3D Printing
Common 3D Printer + Common Ceramics Kiln =
Pure Metal 3D Printing at the Office, Home and School!
Affordable and Easy to Use, Here’s How it Works:
STEP 1:
Print in Common FFF 3D Printers
The Virtual Foundry’s Filamet™ metal, glass and ceramic FFF 3D Printing filaments combines Metal Powder with a Polylactic Acid (PLA) binder to create a unique 3D printing process familiar to all PLA users. This is all accomplished with the same inexpensive printers made for printing common plastic filament.
STEP 2:
Debind in a Common Kiln
After printing, the part is placed in a kiln like those commonly found in schools, labs, makerspaces andeven home studios. This slow heating process removes the PLA binder leaving behind a porous metal structure that’s ready for the next step.
STEP 3:
Sinter in the same Common Kiln
The print is then raised to a higher temperature, causing the particles to weld together to form a metal, glass or ceramic part. This phase of the process densifies the material, resulting in a final part that is dense, strong and pure.
YES! You can 3D print pure metal parts with a kiln and a 3D printer from companies like Prusa, Ultimaker, Lulzbot, Creality, etc.! If your printer can print PLA filament, it can also print Pure Metal with Filamet™.
How can I use Filamet™?
Featured Products
The Advantages of Printing with Filamet™ 3D Printing Filaments
- Low barrier to entry
- Familiar processes
- Minimal energy consumption
- Mature technology (FFF)
- Low hardware costs
- Hardware flexibility – capability to customize printer
- Safer solution – no chemicals in printing or debinding
Customers Who Trust The Virtual Foundry
What’s on Your Material Wish List?
The Virtual Foundry Can Make It.
The Virtual Foundry has provided this service to organizations like National Labs, NASA and a variety of public and private research organizations. We’ve made Filamet™ with everything from high-tech Thermoelectric materials like doped Molybdenum Telluride and custom 3D printable piezoelectric materials, etc. All the way to the other end of the spectrum with simplistic materials like foundry sand for 3D printable casting cores and components.