Question 1

What is metal binder jetting?

Accepted Answer

Metal binder jetting prints a liquid binder onto a bed of metal powder, layer by layer, to build a green part with no melting. The green part is depowdered, then sintered in a furnace, where heat fuses the metal particles and shrinks the part to near-full density.

Question 2

Binder jetting vs DMLS/SLM: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Binder jetting is faster and cheaper per part in a batch because there is no laser scanning powder point by point and no support structures to remove. DMLS/SLM reaches higher density and tighter as-built tolerance, so it wins when you need maximum strength, fine internal features, or a smaller run.

Question 3

What metals can be binder jet?

Accepted Answer

Stainless steels such as 316L and 17-4 PH are the most common, alongside carbon steel, tool steel, and some copper and Inconel systems. Availability depends on the shop and its sintering furnace, so confirm the alloy before quoting.

Question 4

How much shrinkage happens during sintering?

Accepted Answer

Metal binder jetting parts typically shrink around 15-20% linearly during sintering as the powder densifies. Shops print the green part oversized using a shrinkage model calibrated to the material and geometry, then verify critical dimensions after the sinter cycle.

Question 5

What density and strength does binder jetting reach?

Accepted Answer

Sintered parts commonly reach around 97% or more of the density of wrought metal, which supports solid mechanical performance for structural and functional parts. It typically falls short of the near-100% density that laser powder-bed fusion or hot isostatic pressing can reach, so critical load-bearing features may still call for machining or a denser process.

Design rule	Typical spec	Why
Sinter shrinkage	~15-20% linear	The furnace densifies the part; the shop scales the print to compensate.
Min wall thickness	1.0 to 2.0 mm	Thinner walls are fragile in the green state and can distort during sintering.
Typical tolerance	+/- 0.2 mm or +/- 1-2%, whichever is greater	Shrinkage compensation is a model, not a guarantee; tight features may need a machining pass.
Min feature size	0.5 to 0.8 mm	Fine detail below the powder and droplet size does not resolve reliably.
Density after sintering	~97%+ of wrought	Slightly below the ~99%+ that laser powder-bed fusion reaches as-built; hot isostatic pressing can close the remaining porosity when full density is required.
Max part size	bounded by the furnace, not the printer	The green part prints larger than the printer bed implies once shrinkage is unwound; the sintering furnace sets the real ceiling.

Process	Best for	Typical volume	Choose it over Metal Binder Jetting when
Metal 3D Printing (DMLS/SLM)	Fully dense end-use parts, fine features	Prototype to low volume	You need maximum density and strength, tighter as-built tolerance, or geometry like internal channels that binder jetting cannot resolve.
Metal Injection Molding	Very high volume, small metal parts	10,000+	You are past the volume where a mold pays for itself and the part is small enough for MIM tooling.
CNC Machining	Tightest tolerance, wrought material properties	Prototype to production	You need machined-grade tolerance or the mechanical properties of wrought stock rather than a sintered structure.

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