powder metal-Cost， Open-Source 3-D Metal Printer

OK， so maybe youpowder metal aren´t interested in making your own toys， cellphone cases， or glow-in-the-dark Christmas decorations。 How about a brake drum?
Until now， 3D printing has been a polymer affair， with most people in the maker community using the machines to make all manner of plastic consumer goods， from tent stakes to chess sets。 A new low-cost 3D printer developed by Michigan Technological University´s Joshua Pearce and his team could add hammers to that list。 The detailed plans， software and firmware are all freely available and open-source， meaning anyone can use them to make their own metal 3D printer。
Pearce is the first to admit that his new printer is a work in progress。 So far， the products he and his team have produced are no more intricate than a sprocket。 But that´s because the technology is so raw。 "Similar to the incredible churn in innovation witnessed with open-sourcing of the first RepRap plastic 3D printers， I anticipate rapid progress when the maker community gets their hands on it，" says Pearce， an associate professorpowder metal of materials science and engineering/electrical and computer engineering。 "Within a month， somebody will make one that´s better than ours， I guarantee it。"
Using under $1，500 worth of materials， including a small commercial MIG welder and an open-source microcontroller， Pearce´s team built a 3D metal printer than can lay down thin layers of steel to form complex geometric objects。 Commercial metal printers are available， but they cost over half a million dollars。
His make-it-yourself metal printer is less expensive than off-the-shelf commercial plastic 3D printers and is affordable enough for home use， he said。 However， because of safety concerns， Pearce suggests that for now it would be better off in thesintered metal hands of a shop， garage or skilled DIYer， since it requires more safety gear and fire protection equipment than the typical plastic 3D printer。
While metal 3D printing opens new vistas， it also raises anew the specter of homemade firearms。 Some people have already made guns with both commercial metal and plastic 3D printers， with mixed results。 While Pearce admits to some sleepless nights as they developed the metal printer， he also believes that the good to come from all types of distributed manufacturing with 3D printing will far outweigh the dangers。
In previous work， his group has already shown that making products at home with a 3Dsintered metal printer is cheaper for the average American and that printing goods at home is greener than buying commercial goods。
In particular， expanded 3D printing would benefit people in the developing world， who have limited access to manufactured goods， and researchers， who can radically cut costs of scientific equipment to further their science， Pearce said。 "Small and medium-sized enterprises would be able to build parts and equipment quickly and easily using downloadable， free and open-source designs， which could revolutionize the economy for the benefit of the many。"
"I really don´t know if we are mature enough to handle it，" he added cautiously， "but I think that with open-source approach， we are within reach of a Star Trek-like， post-scarcity society， in which ´replicators´ can create a vast array of objects on demand， resulting in wealth for everyone at very little cost。 Pretty soon， we´ll be able to make almost anything。"

sintered metal-Scientists Build a Low-Cost

OK， so maybe yousintered metal aren´t interested in making your own toys， cellphone cases， or glow-in-the-dark Christmas decorations。 How about a brake drum?

Until now， 3D printing has been a polymer affair， with most people in the maker community using the machines to make all manner of plastic consumer goods， from tent stakes to chess sets。 A new low-cost 3D printer developed by Michigan Technological University´s Joshua Pearce and his team could add hammers to that list。 The detailed plans， software and firmware are all freely available and open-source， meaning anyone can use them to make their own metal 3D printer。

Pearce is the first to admit that his new printer is a work in progress。 So far， the products he and his team have produced are no more intricate than a sprocket。 But that´s because the technology is so raw。 "Similar to the incredible churn in innovation witnessed with open-sourcing of the first RepRap plastic 3D printers， I anticipate rapid progress when the maker community gets their hands on it，" says Pearce， an associate professor of materials science and engineering/electrical and computer engineering。 "Within a month， somebody will make one that´s better than ours， I guarantee it。"

Using under $1，500 worth of materials， including a small commercial MIG welder and an open-source microcontroller， Pearce´s team built a 3D metal printer than can lay down thin layers of steel to form complex geometric objects。 Commercial metal printers are available， but they cost over half a million dollars。

His make-it-yourself metal printer is less expensive than offpowder metal-the-shelf commercial plastic 3D printers and is affordable enough for home use， he said。 However， because of safety concerns， Pearce suggests that for now it would be better off in the hands of a shop， garage or skilled DIYer， since it requires more safety gear and fire protection equipment than the typical plastic 3D printer。

While metal 3D printing opens new vistas， it also raises anew the specter of homemade firearms。 Some people have already made guns with both commercial metal and plastic 3D printers， with mixed results。 While Pearce admits to some sleepless nights as they developed the metal printer， he also believes that the good to come from all types of distributed manufacturing with 3D printing willpowder metal far outweigh the dangers。
In previous work， his group has already shown that making products at home with a 3D printer is cheaper for the average American and that printing goods at home is greener than buying commercial goods。
In particular， expanded 3D printing would benefit people in the developing world， who have limited access to manufactured goods， and researchers， who can radically cut costs of scientific equipment to further their science， Pearce said。 "Small and medium-sized enterprises would be able to build parts and equipment quickly and easily using downloadable， free and open-source designs， which could revolutionize the economy for the benefitsintered metal of the many。"

"I really don´t know if we are mature enough to handle it，" he added cautiously， "but I think that with open-source approach， we are within reach of a Star Trek-like， post-scarcity society， in which ´replicators´ can create a vast array of objects on demand， resulting in wealth for everyone at very little cost。 Pretty soon， we´ll be able to make almost anything。"

sintered metal-Powder Coating System

It looks like papowder metalint but it acts like armour， states the Powder Coating Institute (PCI) of this ubiquitous surfacing technique。 Powder coating is a highly durable， decorative and long lasting finish applied to products of nearly every sort for the consumer and industry alike。 It can come in virtually any colour or finish， matte or smooth， is rust-free， scratch resistant and ecologically friendly。

Outdoor barbeques， swing sets， patio furniture and garden equipment are just a few examples of products that are powder coated。 Though it appears painted on， it´s actually a dry finishing process。 Electrostatically charged particles of pulverized pigment and resin are sprayed on to the surfaces of items that have been electrically grounded， thereby attracting the dry charged particles。 Items are then placed in a curing oven where the powder coating melts and fuses to the surface。 Not only is the process virtually pollution free， but there is also very little waste as the dry over spray can be recovered。 Also， the industry does not have to invest in costly pollution-control equipment， making powder coating extremely economical。

Resistant to chippingpowder metal， and fading， colours of a powder coated item will remain true for many years。 High gloss and low gloss finishes， even metallic and clear finishes， make it an ideal choice for stadium chairs， railings and structural enforcements， tools， engine parts， golf clubs， carts， ski poles， bindings， computer cases， farm equipment， exercise equipment， store racks， baby strollers and countless other products。

While powder coating started out as a finish for metal， advancements led to the ability to cure the finishsintered metal at lower temperatures， which opened the door to ceramics， plastics and even wood。 A clear finish makes these products look new longer。 Kitchen cabinets， office furniture， children´s furniture， and toys have joined the ranks of products that benefit from powder coating。

If you have something you´d like powder coated it´s as simple as finding a coater nearby。 PCI offers a clickable map that will direct you to a list of coaters in your state。sintered metal Some coaters only perform large industrial work， while others do both industrial and private or small jobs for single items， so check with the coater first。

PCI reports that powder coating is the fastest growing finishing technology in North America， representing over 10% of all industrial finishing applications。 With everything it has going for it from its versatility to being economical and environmentally friendly， that is a trend that is bound to continue。