Desktop Metal announces Shop System upgrades and Live Sinter software update
August 31, 2022
Desktop Metal, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has announced two upgrade packages for its Shop System, a metal Binder Jetting (BJT) system. The upgrades include the Shop System+ and the Shop System Pro which will offer users more flexibility and control over operating costs and machine parameters.
The Shop System+ upgrade package enables high-production users to access Desktop Metal-engineered powders and binders at a discount to MSRP, reducing the running costs of their AM operations and improving their part costs to drive a faster return on investment.
The Shop System Pro upgrade package is said to be ideal for high-production users with Powder Metallurgy expertise who seek not only to optimise their running costs but also to enable specific applications or cost structures by leveraging proprietary or third-party powders. The Shop System Pro package includes all the benefits of the Shop System+ package as well as additional process flexibility through new features, such as custom Additive Manufacturing and spreading parameters and bi-directional builds for the Shop System Printer and custom sintering profiles for the Desktop Metal Furnace.
Launched in November 2019, the Shop System was designed to bring metal Additive Manufacturing to machine and job shops with an affordable, turnkey solution. To date, Shop System users globally have logged more than 20,000 build hours.
“Customers love the affordability, quality, and reliability of the Shop System, and the Desktop Metal team is excited to expand on this successful platform,” stated Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “The Shop System has become a global success, and we’ve really taken a sinter-based production process that used to require specialised knowledge and made it accessible on many levels. In addition to being affordable, our software and controlled powder and binder supply chain have made 3D printing metal parts easy and reliable.”
Live Sinter simulation software updates
In addition to the Shop System lineup expansion, Desktop Metal has also announced updates to Live Sinter, the company’s sinter simulation software application. Launched in 2020, Live Sinter automates the generation of sinter-ready, printable geometries, as well as supports, setters, and inserts, to make repeatable, volume production of high-precision end-use metal parts through Binder Jetting more accessible.
Desktop Metal explains that Live Sinter’s multi-physics simulation and compensation software delivers sinter-ready, printable geometries that maintain tight shape and dimensional tolerances. Now with the new scan-based adjustments, Live Sinter enables correcting for complex distortion effects, yielding parts that consistently fall well within 1% of the target dimension with as low as +/- 0.3% deviation, avoiding distortion, warping, and other common sintering challenges, as well as the cost and time associated with supports or setters.
“Within the field of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing, Live Sinter stands alone for its ease of use and functionality,” commented Ric Fulop, founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “No other solution offered today combines our powerful, rapid multi-physics simulation with scan-based adjustments and automated support and setter generation. Customers continue to report their absolute delight with this tool to us, and we look forward to continuing to invest in advancing Live Sinter to make sinter-based manufacturing accessible to an ever wider audience, including metal injection moulding customers.”
