Scalable, Non-Traditional Additive Manufacturing printing of inexpensive metallic structures

Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the ultimate prize in 3D printing technology because this technology could spread beyond the prototyping and customized production phases and revolutionize manufacturing, supply chains and logistics. However, the ARMY states that no current AM processes meet its needs to print large metallic structures. To meet the Army’s urgent need, we propose to develop and validate a new class of AM process to overcome limitations of current technologies. Contrary to metal powder bed technology, we have succeeded in preparing viscoelastic metallic pastes and printed simple metal structures with high aspect ratios. Numerous silver and copper pastes exist for AM electrical traces, but suitable metallic pastes for structural applications are not commercially available. Using our approach, metallic structures with complex features (cavities and voids) can be fabricated through further metallic paste development and CAD/CAM toolpath optimization. Our process doesn’t require energy beam heating, binders, or processing chamber/shielding gases. This technology is easily scalable. Our metallic structures were sintered below 2500C. Additional research is essential to develop our metallic paste process to cover ferrous, Cobalt, Nickel-based alloys, and to develop the relevant AM processes to meet the Army’s needs and to achieve widespread adoption within Army’s organic base.