On April 4, 3D Printing Technology Reference noted that a traditional metal injection molding developer called Greene Group Industries (GGI) acquired Holo, a developer of indirect metal 3D printing technology, in an event that is actually of significant landmark significance.One is that "advanced" 3D printing technology has failed to find enough industry applications to support its healthy growth, and the other is that traditional manufacturing industries have recognized the value of 3D printing technology to their production processes.The

Holo isAutodeska spin-off company of the company that developed the light-curing-based PureForm metal indirect 3D printing technology that enablesPure copper, stainless steel, titanium alloy, nickel-based high-temperature alloyRapid prototyping and scale-up production of complex metal parts in materials such as...In particular, it should be noted that the company was the first to tackle pure copper 3D printing based on DLP technology.Through DLP + DegreasingSintering processThe densities of the formed pure copper average 96-98%, which is sufficient to achieve the thermal and electrical conductivity of 95% for bulk copper. Additionally, the process may reduce the cracking problems associated with laser printing. Based on an already proven process, Holo is focusing on the development and manufacturing of heat sink parts rather than selling 3D printers.3D Printing Technology Reference 2021 reports that one of its pilot production lines20,000 pure copper small parts can be produced per monthand hopes to produce millions of copper heatsink parts each year.

With a 100-year history of providing high-quality metal parts, GGI is recognized as an industry leader in a variety of metal forming technologies, including stamping, forming, CNC machining, wire EDM, and metal injection molding (MIM). Its advanced manufacturing, sales, and support network allows it to quickly provide prototypes and develop short-run production processes from initial product concepts.

Holo's technology complements our metal injection molding, stamping and precision machining offerings," said GGI's CEO. This deal allows GGI to deliver prototype metal parts in less than two weeks with surface quality and feature resolution comparable to metal injection molding.PureForm additive manufacturing technology will strengthen our partnership with our customers by supporting faster iterations throughout the product lifecycle., while GGI maintains its superior engineering services and quality."

Holo's flagship PureForm additive manufacturing technology uses a metallic paste made from a blend of MIM powder and light-curing resins to enableDeveloping Indirect 3D Printing of High-Resolution, High-Throughput Parts. Specifically, the technology produces high-precision part blanks based on the principle of photopolymerization from a mixture of metal powder and photosensitive polymers. A mask exposure allows precise and fast molding of the entire layer, and the polymer binder selectively cross-links locally, bonding the metal powder together. The printed blank is degreased and sintered to form a densified part.

Indirect metal 3D printing.end upIntegration with the MIM industry

The back-end process of indirect 3D printing technology is identical to that of MIM technology, making it very easy for traditional metal injection molding manufacturers to incorporate the technology into their production process.

Indirect 3D printing technology helps enable rapid prototyping that is difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methodsThis is the type of technologyOne of the key values for the MIM industryGGI's acquisition of Holo is a key reason why 3D printing technology is an important complementary or even disruptive technology for early part development in the MIM field, as it eliminates the need for molds and dies and significantly improves development flexibility, shortens development time, and reduces development costs.

Currently, indirect metal 3D printing technologies such as binder jetting and light curing use powder for MIM as the 3D printing material, which has not increased the material cost for the MIM industry. For indirect metal 3D printing based on light curing, it is possible to achieveUltra-precision 3D printingBetter surface quality and finer detailed features.surpassing evenMIM-standardized parts. On top of that, Holo claims that its technology enablesScale production of complex designsand is considered ideal for aerospace, automotive, medical, electronics and industrial applications.

Source: AMReference