The Virtual Foundry is first to market with an affordable metal 3D printing system that dramatically reduces the entry cost of Metal 3D Printing. Filamet™ from The Virtual Foundry makes any existing 3D printer a Metal 3D Printer. The Virtual Foundry provides a full cycle solution that includes debinding and sintering equipment letting anyone 3D Print pure metal parts in-house for prototyping and short-run manufacturing. Complete processing packages start at under $10,000.
After 3 years of development with partners and customers in Aerospace, Petroleum, Injection Molding, Dentistry, Education and Nuclear Energy, The Virtual Foundry is now shipping turn-key debinding and sintering systems that let any size shop create pure metal in your existing plastics 3D lab, or set up a new metal lab at, by far, the lowest price point to date.
The Virtual Foundry’s flagship line of materials, called Filamet™, is compatible with FFF/FDM printers, the most common type of 3D printer. Expanding the capability of existing hardware makes your existing 3D printers much more valuable and versatile.
Another key advantage of Filamet™ is safety, the metal powders are bound in a food-safe thermoplastic polymer, making it far safer and much less expensive than existing laser-based metal 3D printing solutions. Metal powders are encapsulated within a binder during handling and printing. Therefore, unlike other metal printing technologies, no respirators or special handling equipment is required.
The Virtual Foundry has also begun partnering with manufacturers of industrial grade 3D printers to co-market its products. The quality produced by the highest performance industrial 3D printers carries directly through to the metal products created with The Virtual Foundry materials.
“Our open architecture strategy means that as 3D printing technology improves, so does the final product created with Filamet™.” -Bradley Woods, Founder
The Virtual Foundry currently stocks Stainless 316L, Copper and Bronze with 15+ more materials available by Special Order. They will be rapidly expanding materials kept in standard inventory over the coming months.
The system fits effortlessly into educational settings looking for a low-investment metal 3D printing solution. Educators are already including Filamet™ in coursework for metal AM. They recognize that this technology offers a simple solution to a difficult problem. The low-cost entry into metal printing and sintering with Filamet™ makes this an easy – and important – addition to STEM and STEAM curricula.
Featured image shows Filamet™ Pure Stainless 316L printed with an Anet A8 (a sub $500, FFF 3d printer)
