3D Printing with Liquid Aluminum | Formnext 2023

Valcun’s Minerva machine uses Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) to create parts using standard aluminum welding wire. The material is melted in a crucible within the 3D printer, and then deposited by a ceramic nozzle onto the build platform. Wire avoids the handling concerns of powdered materials, and the resulting parts can be anodized, welded and treated like any other aluminum components. Other materials including high-strength aluminum are in the works. Stephanie Hendrixson describes the process during Formnext 2023.
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[@aytunch]

Can you make a longer episode on this? How fast is it? what about supports? it would be nice to see it in action.

[@kundeleczek1]

Removing aluminium supports would be hell.

[@cholaelangeswaran9277]

This technology can print up to 75 degrees (15 deg w.r.t. horizontal plane) without supports. So largely, the toolpath can be optimized for printing without supports. The big lampshade took less than 2 hours of printing time, so, you could say it's quite fast!

[@すどにむ]

1:00 That print looks um... let's say ready for post processing... The idea of using aluminum wires as filament is fantastic though

[@__--JY-Moe--__]

yup! glad to see more development in fabricator types! thanks! crazy lamp shade!

[@BalaGuruIyyappan]

A great economical sustainable printer. A little machining is required. May be minimum wall thickness will be a crucial element.

[@tripbreaker]

Liquid… aluminum? That’s the ticket, laddie.

[@richmiller9844]

Great idea. I wouldn't trust any pressure in those fittings.

[@maficstudios]

Since they're not selling the filament, are they charging that much more for the printer?

[@QeeQee1]

Does anyone offer this service? I would like to create a box with this machine.

[@Themheals]

Making guns is going to be much better now

[@Muffffin]

Good

[@Smokkedandslammed]

Based liquid aluminum 3d printer

[@Dregomz02]

And less ugly

[@erikm9768]

Is this a delta printer or why else would you get "more" build area by using a hectagon?

[@raulkaap]

No shielding gas? At all or not generally?

[@ValCUN3D]

the parts in the video were all printed (al4043) without shielding gases. going to higher strength alloys (6xxx, 7xxx) shielding gas might be necessary, but depends again on the requirements of the part.

[@raulkaap]

@@ValCUN3D That is surprising. Sometimes you are not supposed to even look at aluminium without shielding gas.

[@martylawson1638]

@@ValCUN3D Surprised the layers hold together! I guess getting doused in molten aluminum is enough to disrupt the surface oxides and form a solid bond?

[@AwestrikeFearofGods]

@@ValCUN3D Is the print chamber airtight? If it continuously leaks, what (approximate) flowrate of shielding gas is required for Minerva? Also, have you tried nitrogen shielding? How does it compare vs. argon and vs. air? My understanding is that nitrogen is about half the price of argon (while air is free).

[@sankalp3513]

Shielding gas isn't enough to prevent the passive oxide formation on aluminum given the vanishingly small amount of ambient oxygen that's needed to form the oxide. I'm guessing the repeated melting and deposition is disturbing the oxide layers to allow good interlayer bonding.

[@trkoo]

Great idea but current samples look like they have alot of cracks and fusing problems between layers as well as very limited over hangs and no real complex shape is demoed.

[@martylawson1638]

I suspect overhangs will get better if they use a smaller nozzle. (or extreme cooling) Surface tension and the strength of the surface oxides will get proportionally stronger.

[@trkoo]

@@martylawson1638 It looks like these problems will be harder than you assume. If you don't melt the material it will not bond properly, if you melt it to much it won't do over hangs. It's almost better to just do Standart 3d welding robot atleast then the melt pool is from the electric discharge between the feed and surface.

[@UrSoMeanBoss]

woah that's awesome

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

Why don't you need shielding gas inside?

[@sankalp3513]

Sounds very similar to Xerox's liquid metal printer with similar wire feedstock, but worse looking finish here. Perhaps this one wins on price?

[@erikm9768]

Those welds look really weak

[@headbanger1428]

I don’t understand how it can use aluminum without a shielding gas. Was she just going off script and goofed? If this is a real thing, how is aluminum not oxidized at those temperatures and weakened? I mean, at least argon or something.

[@n1663r]

Sell your stock in end mills.