Non-Ferrous Metals (Aluminum, Copper, Brass)

Cutting Tool Engineering recently organized and hosted a Question & Answer style webinar with industry experts from Walter AG and RobbJack Corp. exploring the difficulties associated with machining aluminum. Terry Iverson, President and CEO of Iverson & Company, a sales, service and precision machine tool rebuilding company, moderated the event.

The foundry-grade aluminum alloy, suitable for the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process, enables 3D printing of parts that have traditionally been manufactured using casting practices. There are other Aluminum alloys that are more commonly used in metal additive manufacturing, such as AlSi10Mg, but Aluminum F357 can be anodized and shares characteristics with A356, a widely used casting alloy.n

Markforged announced the release of pure copper for the Markforged Metal X system, making it a reliable, affordable, and safe way to 3D print the widely used material. 3D printing copper parts on demand will drive new manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies for customers – leading to reduced lead times and part costs, as well as eliminating the need for costly inventory.