Uniformity Labs/ Desktop Metal
Desktop Metal and Uniformity Labs have formally announced their partnership to develop ultra-low porosity metal powders for binder jetting technology.
The companies revealed their collaboration on the development of an aluminium 6061 powder earlier this year and have reiterated their plans to qualify the material on the Desktop Metal Production System and scale production for commercial release. As their partnership expands, they will also place their focus on stainless steels, nickel-based superalloys and other aluminium materials. Already, several commercially available materials for the Shop System have already been qualified.
Uniformity Labs’ patented materials technology is said to output powders with tap densities up to 85% that sinter to full density and are ‘significantly more flowable than powders of comparable size.’ By spreading uniformly across the print bed at the highest relative density, the materials exhibit low part shrinkage in binder jetting and are capable of producing parts with excellent material properties and surface finishes.
Working with Desktop Metal, Uniformity Labs will focus on qualifying optimised binder jetting powders exclusively for Desktop Metal’s Production and Shop Systems, as well as the 3D printing platforms acquired through its takeover of ExOne. Together, they will study powder and binder interactions and will release print profiles with fully characterises mechanical properties for various materials. To support this endeavour, Uniformity Labs has installed several Desktop Metal systems, including a Shop System and a Production System P-1 at its Fremont, CA facilities.
“We are excited to unveil this strategic partnership with Uniformity Labs, which is pioneering materials solutions that will advance the AM industry,” commented Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “Binder jetting powders processed with Uniformity Labs technology enable unmatched mechanical properties and can further improve the economics of printing. We look forward to collaborating with the Uniformity Labs team to optimize binder jetting powders exclusively for Desktop Metal’s AM 2.0 solutions and provide our customers with integrated offerings including hardware, software, and materials that enable robust adoption of AM for mass production.”
“This partnership strengthens our ongoing collaboration with Desktop Metal to provide incredible value for its customers looking to adopt next-generation AM solutions,” added Adam Hopkins, Founder, and CEO of Uniformity Labs. “We are thrilled to continue our work with Desktop Metal to qualify our high-performance, engineered powders that deliver superior mechanical properties, surface finish, and part reliability.”
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