The Virtual Foundry names Sapphire3D its first certified sintering partner
December 16, 2019
The Virtual Foundry, LLC, Stoughton, Wisconsin, USA, has announced that Sapphire3D, Inc., a metal and ceramic Additive Manufacturing and sintering company based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, will be the first certified sintering partner for its plastic-infused metal filaments, which can be used in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Additive Manufacturing.
Sapphire3D states that it has developed expertise in the art and science of heat treating ‘green’ parts made from The Virtual Foundry’s open-architecture plastic-infused metal Filamets™ to produce high-quality, high-purity finished metal parts. According to the company, it has maintained a database of every sintering cycle it has performed with The Virtual Foundry’s metal Filamets™ which has reportedly enabled Sapphire3D to achieve 100% success with copper and bronze.
Tricia Suess, President of The Virtual Foundry, stated, “In addition to their proficiency with our materials, the team at Sapphire3D also shares our vision, which is to make metal 3D printing attainable to everyone. Most manufacturers today are investigating metal Additive Manufacturing, but they’re wary of the investment it requires. For many companies, using a sintering partner like Sapphire3D is a very economical way to start.”
“They can help you work through a variety of part design, printing and sintering issues to ensure that you can create the highest-quality metal parts,” she continued. “As you become more knowledgeable about designing for Additive Manufacturing with metal and its unique post-production requirements, you can always invest in your own sintering equipment later.”
David Lawson, founder of Sapphire3D, explained, “Successfully sintering a metal part involves some trial and error. The decisions you make during part design and printing affect the outcome of the sintering process. That’s why my partner Joe Divizio and I will often work directly with our clients to help them optimise those first two steps.”
