桌面金属Binder 3D打印系统的领先提供商已宣布，它已从德国的一家主要汽车制造商那里收到了790万美元的订单。
据报道，这家未透露姓名的公司将使用其新的活页夹3D打印机来大规模生产高量的金属汽车动力总成零件。台式金属已经为几个全球汽车品牌提供服务，其中许多公司将公司的技术用于3D打印系列最终使用汽车组件。这包括宝马,Renault,大陆， 和Ford.
Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal, said, “This milestone order is evidence of the performance and economics that make our binder jetting solutions the most advanced in the world and a testament to our teams who have been working tirelessly to help make the vision of mass production via additive manufacturing a reality.”
Binder jet 3D printing with Desktop Metal
Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, Desktop Metal is undoubtedly the major player in the metal binder jet 3D printing space. The company boasts a fast-growing customer base across sectors such as automotive, healthcare, and aerospace, and is now home to over 1,350 employees around the world.
自去年年底公开以来，桌面金属一直很快收购其他几家3D印刷公司，以加速其增长。这些收购中最重要的是竞争对手活页夹喷气机3D打印机制造商ExOne, which was bought out for $575Mlast month. Desktop Metal has also recently boughtBelgian recoater system developer Aerosint,hydraulic power system developer Aidro， 和more.
Exone首席执行官约翰·哈特纳（John Hartner）解释说：“我对这种组合感到非常兴奋，我相信这将极大地加速生产金属添加剂制造业。”“这种组合汇集了两名行业领导者，它们结合在一起，将使客户的挑战更快地解决，并将生产金属添加剂的现实带入了多年。”
桌面金属的粘合剂喷气组合包括Shop Systemand生产系统3D打印机，每个打印机都有其自身的广泛材料功能。实际上，就在今年夏天，该公司成为第一个合格4140低合金钢for use with binder jetting. Desktop Metal has even previously launched a sustainable木材3D打印技术通过其子公司福特.
可持续发展的著名建筑师兼领导者威廉·麦克唐纳（William McDonough）表示：“福特技术使我们能够采用以前造成木材浪费的东西，并将其重新化为精美而有用的东西。我们正在通过将它们的纤维素和木质素重新定义为现在和后代的资产。”
金属3D打印：简化汽车生产
One of the biggest challenges carmakers face is the length of the R&D phase for new models, which can often stretch between three and five years. During this period, a number of prototypes will inevitably be developed, meaning there’s a need for rapid design iterations with short lead times. This is where metal 3D printing comes in.
与其准备制造线路或外包以生产小批量的零件，不如能够使用3D打印机（例如生产系统）将快速的原型制作带入内部。除了能够在短时间内最终确定新设计外，使用添加剂制造可以使自己节省大量成本。
Additionally, automotive manufacturers can also 3D print manufacturing tooling, including jigs and fixtures, to aid with production and assembly. There’s even a potential use case in aftermarket parts, especially those that were once cast but are now obsolete. The dynamic and flexible nature of metal 3D printing enables part providers to print on demand, eliminating their huge component inventories altogether.
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Featured image shows a Production System manufacturing facility. Photo via Desktop Metal.
