Manufacturing services · Chapter F · Method 39

Metal binder jetting

Printheads deposit binder into metal powder to form a green part, which is then sintered in a furnace. Faster and cheaper per part than laser melting.

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Binder-jet machine depositing binder across the powder bed. Representative process photo · Oak Ridge National Laboratory · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

How it works

Metal binder jetting, step by step.

A labelled schematic of the process (not to scale), and the four steps every job goes through.

Labelled diagram showing how metal binder jetting works — Schematic · not to scale. Drawn by TCI Group.

STEP 01

Spread

Spread a 0.1 mm layer of metal powder.

STEP 02

Bind

Printheads jet binder onto the cross-section.

STEP 03

Cure & depowder

Cure the build box and remove green parts.

STEP 04

Sinter

Sinter in a furnace; parts shrink.

Reference figures

What to expect.

Typical industry values to help you plan. We agree the figures for your part on the drawing.

Shrink0.8–2.5 %After sintering

Layer0.10 mmTypical

FinishRa 3.0–8.0 µmAs printed

Min Feature≥1 mmThicken below 0.75 mm

Materials	Stainless 316L and 17-4PH; other steels by process.
Finishes	As sintered; tumbled, bead blasted, machined or plated.
Design guidance	Thicken features under 0.75 mm. Internal holes may shrink up to 5 %. Tolerances are not guaranteed on a first order.
Best suited to	Small to medium metal parts in batch volumes.
Watch-outs	Sintering shrink and distortion need compensation.

Other methods in 3D printing

Previous: Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)Next: Welding & weldments

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Send a sketch, photo, sample or CAD file with your quantity and target date. We will recommend the most sensible route and explain the trade-offs before quoting.

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Reference figures are typical published industry values for planning, not a guarantee; final tolerances, materials and finishes are agreed in writing for each project.