Desktop Metal's Studio System 2 Lowers Consumable Use

Desktop Metal has launched Studio System 2, which the company says is a simplified, office-friendly metal 3D-printing technology for low-volume pre-production and end-use applications.

The Studio System, which first debuted in 2017, is a metal additive manufacturing system that leverages Desktop Metal’s proprietary Bound Metal Deposition (BMD) technology, a powder metallurgy-based process which eliminates lasers and loose powders in favor of bound metal rods to shape parts layer-by-layer.

Desktop Metal’s Studio System 2 retains the original system’s critical features, while including advancements Desktop Metal says make 3D metal printing more reliable and accessible. Enhanced material formulations enable direct part transference between the printer and the furnace, condensing printing into a two-step process that reduces consumable usage and overall system footprint. A re-engineered interface layer material and updated print profiles cause more shrinkage during sintering and increase part success across multiple geometries.

New print profiles use the system’s heated build chamber to enhance surface finish across side walls and support-facing surfaces. Isotropic triply periodic minimal surface (TMPS) infill creates strong parts Desktop Metal says are ideal for end-use applications. Vacuum sintering at temperatures of up to 1400°C produces parts and mechanical properties similar to castings and meet or exceed Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) standards.

Desktop Metal is launching Studio System 2 with 316L stainless steel, and plans to rollout new materials throughout 2021. The system can use a debinder to achieve compatibility with materials from the first-generation Studio System.

Desktop Metal’s Fabricate software features print profiles tailored to the Studio System 2 process, generating Separable Support structures with strategic splits to avoid locking during post-processing and fully automating thermal debind and sintering cycles.

The Studio System 2 is set to begin worldwide shipments in Q1 2021, and will have an upgrade path for existing Studio System customers.