To prototype in metal is in many cases the reason why designers, inventors and engineers hold off on buying a 3d printer, and in most cases, indefinitely. Metal printers are due to the technology employed incredibly expensive. Besides that they can be messy and hard to keep running. What if metal protoyping is within your reach, for a fraction of the cost?
Making metal components from wax masters is a method that endured since the dawn of history. There are two main techniques available to Morgan Owners, one of which we tried recently:
- Lost investment casing
- Lost wax (PLA) sand casting
We will do a full writeup on the process, and advantages and disadvantages of each process soon.
Happy prototyping!
How much does a metal printer cost?
Last time I checked it was over R2M for a Nylon SLS machine, and metal are more expensive. Competition has started to drive pricing down, but it will still be a very very long time before anyone but the large industrial houses can afford to buy and use those…