Introducing metal 3D printing

Working with BASF Forward AM we've introduced Zortrax Full Metal Package 316L and Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH: kits that enable 3D printing models made of two most commonly used types of steel: 316L surgical-grade stainless steel and 17-4 PH hardened steel.

Here's all you need to know about precipitation hardened steel included in the Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH.

17-4 PH steel contains more carbon than the 316L grade which makes it significantly stronger and harder. But this higher percentage of carbon also makes it more brittle and prone to corrosion. 17-4 PH steel is used for:

  • Petroleum industry parts
  • Paper processing machinery
  • Aerospace parts
  • Structural frames
  • Turbine blades

Parts made with Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH are isotropic and can be welded, polished or machined just like standard steel.

Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH contains everything you need to make parts out of hardened steel on the Zortrax M300 Dual 3D printer. The package includes:

  • 1000 g spool of BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH metallic powder filament
  • A 300 g spool BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer
  • Magigoo® Pro Metal 50ml glue
  • M300 Dual hotend module with steel nozzle
  • PTFE tube with Adapter
  • Post processing voucher for a 500 g of metal parts
  • Bubble wrap to secure your 3D printed parts for transit

BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH metallic powder filament and BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer are available for purchase separately.

Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH contains everything you need to make parts out of 17-4 PH hardened steel on the Zortrax Endureal 3D printer. The package includes:

  • 1000 g spool of BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH metallic powder filament
  • A 300 g spool BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer
  • Magigoo® Pro Metal 50ml glue
  • Endureal hotend module
  • Post processing voucher for a 500 g of metal parts
  • Bubble wrap to secure your 3D printed parts for transit

BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH metallic powder filament and BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer are available for purchase separately.

How to use Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH

Printing

Green Part

Printing

Green Part

Debinding

Brown Part

Debinding

Brown Part

Sintering

Metal Part

Sintering

Metal Part

 

The process is simple. You replace a standard hotend module with the one included in the package, load the included printing and support filament, cover the build platform with included Magigoo Pro Metal glue, print your parts using default settings in Z-SUITE, send the parts for post processing using the included voucher, get your post-processed metal parts delivered to your doorstep. To make best possible metal parts with the Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH you need to follow a few simple guidelines and design principles. They are all clearly explained in our metal 3D printing step by step manual.

BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH

BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH is an industrial composite filament compatible with the LPD Plus Zortrax Endureal 3D printer. It has features that allow users to produce metal parts in a safe, easy, and cost-effective way in comparison with Metal Injection Molding or metal machining. The filament contains 80% 17-4 stainless steel particles and 20% of polymer content.

BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH can be used for 3D printing strong metal end-use parts, functional prototypes, elements requiring weather resistance, medical equipment, automotive parts, chemical pipes or valves, elements of tools or fixtures. Printed parts have up to 1004 MPa tensile strength, 764 MPa yield strength, up to 4% elongation at break, and have martensitic (magnetic) microstructure.

3D prints gain their unique properties through the proprietary catalytic debinding and sintering process, outsourced at Elnik Systems GmbH. During this process, 3D printed “green parts” turn into fully metal “brown parts.” As a result you receive magnetizable elements with high corrosion resistance. During the post-processing procedures, BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH models shrink by about 20%. This effect should be taken into account when preparing models for 3D printing.

Available Colors

Gray
Dedicated for Container Weight Diameter Extrusion
Zortrax M300 Dual spool 3000 g ± 5% or 1000 g ± 5% 1.75 mm Dual with BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer
Zortrax Endureal
 
Key Properties Metric Imperial Test Method
Tensile strength 1004 MPa 145.62 ksi ISO 6892-1
Yield strength 764 MPa 110.81 ksi ISO 6892-1
Elongation at break 4% 4% ISO 6892-1
Vickers hardness (HV10) 309 309 ISO 6507-1
Parts for printing with Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH should be designed to control for shrinkage in the post-processing stage.

Parts for printing with Zortrax Full Metal Package 17-4 PH should be designed to control for shrinkage in the post-processing stage.

Applications

  • functional prototypes,
  • metal end-use parts,
  • elements requiring weather resistance,
  • medical equipment,
  • automotive parts,
  • components for chemical industry,
  • parts intended for welding,
  • customized tooling, jigs, fixtures. 

BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer

BASF Ultrafuse® Support Layer is a support filament dedicated for metallic powder filaments. Using it is crucial to achieve desired parts' geometry both during the 3D printing and post-processing stage.

Available Colors

White
Dedicated for Container Weight Diameter
Endureal spool 330 g ± 5% 1.75 mm
Support material compatible with
BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH, BASF Ultrafuse® 316L
A steel turbine rotor before debinding and sintering process 3D printed on the Zortrax Endureal using Zortrax Full Metal Package 316L.

A steel turbine rotor before debinding and sintering process 3D printed on the Zortrax Endureal using Zortrax Full Metal Package 316L.

BASF Ultrafuse® 316L and BASF Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH
are two available metallic powder filaments corresponding to two types of steel. Here's how they are different.

Type of steel Corrosion Resistance Structure Mechanical performance
316L Stainless Non-magnetic Medium harndness / high elongation
17-4 PH Corrosive Magnetic High hardness / low elongation
Type of steel 316L 17-4 PH
Corrosion Resistance Stainless Corrosive
Structure Non-magnetic Magnetic
Mechanical performance Medium harndness / high elongation High hardness / low elongation