Blog
FAQ: Can the Sintering Powders be Reused?
Two things need to happen during sintering:The part shape is supported, andOxygen is prevented from reaching the part We solve part shape support with Sintering Refractory Ballast - Al2O3 and Talc (for copper and bronze) or Steel Blend (for the steels).We solve for...
Bronze-Age Relic?
Bronze-Age Relic? or, was this pure bronze work of art 3D printed in someones basement just last week? Drumroll Please… It was 3D Printed with less than $3 worth of Filamet™, a bronze 3D printing filament that works with any of the millions of 3d printers that...
Design for Additive Manufacturing with Filamet™
Each metal additive manufacturing process has its own set of guidelines for ideal part size and shape - Design for Additive Manufacturing - and Filamet™ is no different. While the open-architecture process that Filamet™ allows gives you unlimited options, there are...
Microwave Sintering
Could it really be this simple? Early proof of concept is indicating YES! it is. TVF Partner Innovator Highball has done some great work with microwave sintering. It is still very new and in the developmental / experimental phase. But you should still know about it....
For Immediate Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10-5-22The Virtual Foundry, [email protected] 3D Print Metal on a Sample Scale with The Virtual Foundry’s Filamet™ Evaluation Kit The millions of inexpensive 3D printers sold over the past few years can now print...
3D Printed Titanium Breakthrough!
3D Printed Titanium Breakthrough! A newly published paper by David Alexander of the University of Texas at El Paso, Doctoral Program in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering details a method for using Filamet™ to create Fuel Cell components using low-cost commercial...
Why are Aluminum and Titanium Filamet™ “Untested”?
Why is Aluminum more difficult to sinter than the other materials we work with at The Virtual Foundry? It's actually a pretty interesting story, let's talk through it. In a word, Oxides. One of the things that makes Aluminum such a useful material is that it doesn't...
Liquid Phase Sintering
Since the beginning of The Virtual Foundry, I've been experimenting with nearly every variation, adaptation and enhancement for the most common methods of sintering for 3D Metal prints. One that we have not yet perfected but shows tremendous promise is Liquid Phase...
Make48 at Fab-Lab Stoughton
I just got back from a remarkable spectacle, Make48 at Fab-Lab Stoughton. -Sponsord by Trek (and Trek went all in!) Make48 Kickoff and Fab-Lab Stoughton. Make48 at Fab-Lab Stoughton - Here's the description from the Make48 website: Make48 is a nationwide,...
Beginner’s FFF Metal 3D Printing Guide
Roman Coliseum in Copper Let's take a look at FFF Metal 3D Printing. 3D printing used to be the stuff of sci-fi movies. Creating 3D structures in homes based on your own designs represents a significant advancement in technology. Nowadays, that old dream has become a...
The Filawarmer Overcomes Fragile Filament
The Filawarmer overcomes fragile filament. This article answers some of the questions Partner Innovators have about the Filawarmer and dive into exactly how to use it to get the best results. Who needs a Filawarmer? Anyone printing a filament that needs to be...
You’re going to make some beautiful things
In a recently published webinar about sintering Filamet™, our sintering partner, David Lawson of Sapphire3D, used the phrase “development-minded.” As in, you have to be development-minded in this process. What does that mean in the context of FFFMetal and The Virtual...
New plasma atomization reactor enables The Virtual Foundry to expand its range of exotic metals
As part of The Virtual Foundry’s continuing efforts to help its customers develop unique materials with exceptional physical properties for additive manufacturing, the advanced material science company has acquired a plasma atomization reactor. This device uses plasma...
The Virtual Foundry develops custom materials for additive manufacturing
Until recently, engineers and designers were limited in the materials they could use for additive manufacturing. That’s because the catalogs of the major 3D printer manufacturers tend to focus on the most popular, high-volume materials. These creators now have another...
The Virtual Foundry Awarded Patent for its FDM/FFF Metal 3D Printing System
The Virtual Foundry recently won a patent for its proprietary process for extruding metal, glass or ceramic powder with a thermoplastic binder into continuous filament suitable for use in fused filament 3D printers. Once an object is printed using this hybrid...
Copper Filamet™ Profile Added to the Cura Marketplace
A printer profile for our Copper Filamet™ was recently approved to appear in the Cura Marketplace, which makes it available to millions of users of Ultimaker 3D printers worldwide. This material is the first of its kind to be published in this well-respected...
We’re climbing a mountain and we want you to come with us!
THIS WHOLE JOURNEY STARTED WITH A QUEST TO PUT METAL 3D PRINTING IN EVERYONE'S HANDS. BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? There are lots of ways to make things out of metal - and each technology has its place. There are lots of companies with the kinds of budgets that allow...
The Virtual Foundry: We’re Changing The Way Work Is Done
Filamet™ is the highest metal content, sinterable FDM filament on the market and allows users to create high quality 100% metal prints. Filamet™ boasts a low cost entry point, unlimited value, and endless possibilities. With Filamet™ it is possible to create objects...
Virtual Foundry: Desktop 3D Metal Printing, Today
The Virtual Foundry, llc. is first to market with an inexpensive system for desktop 3D metal printing. The strategy leverages existing 3D printers and existing metal processing equipment to dramatically reduce the cost of metal 3D printing. The idea is simple,...
The Virtual Foundry’s Alternative to Costly Metal AM Systems: Open, Safe, Priced to Compete
The Virtual Foundry set out to make metal 3D printing realistic for everyone with an FDM printer. The dream comes true with Filamet™, their line of sinterable FDM metal filaments. Open: The Virtual Foundry prides itself on developing these filaments within an open...
Affordable 3D Metal Printing On The Desktop
Filamet™ Pure Stainless 316L printed with an Anet A8 (a sub $500, FFF 3d printer). The Virtual Foundry is first to market with an affordable metal 3d printing system that dramatically reduces the entry cost of Metal 3D Printing. Filamet™ from The Virtual Foundry makes...
Filamet™ in the Field… Ledwell Plastics: How does Filamet™ fit in to plastic injection molding?
Can 3D printed metal impact the plastic injection molding industry? The Virtual Foundry and Ledwell Plastics are working together to find out. Benn Simms of Ledwell Plastics writes, "After finding an article on The Virtual Foundry's Filamet™ I immediately saw the...