The Metal 1.0 LPBF 3D Printer Launches on Kickstarter

Everyone wants metal 3D printing. The speed and geometric versatility of 3D printing combined with the strength of metal is just a no-brainer. And you can get that if you have $50,000-500,000 to spend. But you probably don’t, which is why the much more affordable Metal 1.0 3D printer is so compelling.

The Metal 1.0 just launched on Kickstarter and I can tell you the entire sales pitch in one sentence: decent metal 3D printing at a relatively low price.

By “relatively low price,” I mean €8,500 (about $9,754) for Kickstarter backers. By “metal” I mean bronze, 316L stainless steel, or Inconel 718 (a nickel, chromium, and iron alloy). Low-density copper should also be available as an option in the future.

This is an LPBF (laser powder bed fusion) 3D printer, also known as an SLM (selective laser melting) or DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) 3D printer. It works by using a laser to melt powdered metal, fusing that power into solid metal and forming a part. This technology isn’t new; it is usually just very expensive.

The build volume is a cylinder with a diameter of 128mm and a height of 100mm (upgradeable to 150mm). That isn’t very big, but it can certainly still be useful. The layer height is 0.05-0.10mm, which is good and should produce nice finishes. The laser is a 60W 445nm diode module and that seems a bit weak to me. I’m also not sure 445nm (blue) light is the best choice. But I assume that’s part of what makes this machine affordable.

The Metal 1.0 will operate on normal single-phase power, so there aren’t any special requirements there. But it does require nitrogen gas to prevent oxidation during printing. You can either use bottled nitrogen or add on the optional nitrogen gas generator. If you do use the nitrogen gas generator, you will need a pretty substantial air compressor to run it.

The machine’s controller will run Klipper firmware and doesn’t restrict the material powder you use. So while it isn’t an open-source design, it does give you a lot of freedom.

I am somewhat skeptical about this printer, because I have yet to see a successful prosumer metal 3D printer release. The engineering looks sound here, but production and fulfillment are serious challenges. With profit margins that I assume to be very thin, I worry that backers may not actually receive their machines.

But if you’re willing to take a chance, you have until April 16th to back the Kickstarter campaign.