Recently, Australian 3D printing equipment manufacturer SPEE3D said that it has further perfected its famous supersonic 3D printing process. Their unique process is to spray fine particles of metal powder toward the target at supersonic speed, and the energy carried by the fast-moving metal powder particles makes the powder adhere to the target, thereby gradually forming a completely 3D metal object.
The main advantage of its process is faster 3D printing speed, which is much faster than the typical powder bed laser process. In addition, the process can also use metal powders that are not easy to use or even impossible in common metal 3D printing processes. For example, copper is a commonly used metal in SPEE3D systems, but is rarely used in other systems.
(SPEE3D only uses twelve minutes of 3D printed copper wheels)
After further perfecting this process, SPEE3D can even mix different metal powders to form dynamic alloys and mix materials together. For example, SPEE3D's machines produce complex aluminum heat sinks that use copper to transfer heat and are suitable for outdoor use.
(SPEE3D printed a large copper wheel in only six hours with 3D printing)
Another improvement of SPEE3D is that they have increased the usability of nozzles, especially for certain materials. When the nozzle sprays metal particles at supersonic speed, the nozzle is subjected to great stress, and the nozzle is extremely prone to wear and blockage.
The company's flagship machine, the LightSPEE3D printer, will be joined by a larger machine, WarpSPEE3D. This machine may use the same internal components, but achieve a larger build volume (1000 diameter x 700mm).