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 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
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 |
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.
High hardness
Carbon additions and precipitation hardening process make 17-4 PH steel particularly hard.
High yield strength
17-4 PH can endure enormous loads before it deforms or cracks.
Low elongation
Low elongation means that 17-4 PH steel would break rather than bend under critical load.
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
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 |
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 |