Metal Binder Jetting vs. PBF
The path to true mass production (batch size > 100,000).
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Metal Binder Jetting
A BJT family process in which metal powder layers are bound by a liquid binder. The resulting green part must be debound and sintered.
Operating Principle & Process Flow
Operating Principle: A print head (similar to an inkjet printer) selectively sprays binder into a metal powder bed. After printing, a fragile "green part" results.
Process Flow: Printing (powder binding) → Curing in oven → Depowdering → Debinding → Sintering in high-temperature furnace → Dense metal part.
Technical Specifications
- Energy Source: No thermal energy during printing (chemical binding); thermal energy only in the sintering furnace.
- Feedstock / Material Feed: Powder bed (and binder via print head).
- Typical Part Size: Small to medium series parts.
- Build Rate: Very high (print process extremely fast with thousands of nozzles working in parallel).
- Accuracy: Medium to high (sintering shrinkage must be precisely compensated in CAD).
- Surface Quality: Medium to good (often slightly rougher than PBF-LB/M).
Applications & Materials
Typical Materials: Stainless steel (316L, 17-4PH), copper, tool steel, tungsten carbide.
Typical Applications: Series production of small housings, casting replacement, complex mechanical components.
Industries: Automotive, consumer goods, general mechanical engineering.
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