A multi-metal 3D-printed part from Aerosint. (Image courtesy of Aerosint.)

Belgian-based 3D printing company Aerosint recently announced that it has accomplished something that previously eluded designers and engineers of metal additive manufacturing systems: successfully printing small objects as well as a complex part from two different types of metals. Multi-metal 3D printing is now a reality. The company printed very simple dual-metal objects in the form of small cubes. Apart from these simple geometric shapes, Aerosint also printed a more complex part (pictured above).

The accomplishment stretches back to 2018, when the company announced that it was going to develop a multi-powder additive manufacturing system. Aerosint’s original goal was to develop an additive manufacturing system that was capable of printing in any material, though it did specify interest in selective powder-based polymer sintering for industrial customers.

Two years later, these multi-metal 3D prints were made by Aerosint’s Aconity3D Midi + LPBF 3D printer. The printer has a special dual-metal recoater made by Aconity3D, but it wasn’t just added on at the last second. The dual-metal recoater was part of a development partnership from the beginning of the project between Aconity3D and Aerosint.

About the Complex Multi-Metal 3D-Printed Part

174 layers at 40 microns per layer make up the complex part. The total build volume of the part is 55 millimeters in diameter and 6.9 millimeters in height. The first metal is called 316L from Carpenter Additive with Copper Chromium Zirconium (CuCrZr, a copper alloy) made by TLS Technik. The total build time was 5 hours and 40 minutes.

The small cubes were printed from Copper Chromium Zirconium and steel.

Aerosint refers to the new technology as Multi-metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion and hopes it will open up new doors for practical applications in industrial settings.

Bottom Line

Aerosint has a few early adopters ready to test out the new multi-metal additive manufacturing system, with a few interesting target components in mind like cutting tools, rocket nozzles, heat exchangers and drill bit inserts.

The company will continue to experiment with other material combinations, including Titanium Alloy, Nitinol and Stainless Steel 316L.

After new use cases develop with its partners, Aerosint plans to bring the Aconity3D Midi+ LPBF 3D printer to market with the multi-metal recoater.