Data protection and privacy policy

This information is for the attention of all visitors to our website, customers and partners and is of importance when we receive data relating to you. Whether or not you are a customer, and whether or not any agreement even exists between us, is irrelevant in this case. By providing you with this information, we aim to make the manner in which we handle your data transparent for you. It is founded on the terms used by the European legislator for the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We last updated our Privacy Policy on 09 August 2024.

Name and address of the controller

The competent controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), other data protection laws applicable in member states of the European Union, and other provisions relating to data protection is:

AM Academy GmbH
Alstertor 13
20095 Hamburg

Procedure and purpose of storage

Your computer sends us your IP address when you use our websites and, depending on the type of use and your computer’s settings, we may store small text files (“cookies”) on your hard drive. We create these files to improve the function of our website for you. It is a sort of short-term memory on your browser.
We also create text files on our system that may contain the following information about you: The type and version of your browser, the operating system used, the URL of the website from which you came to ours, the name of your computer and the time (“log files”). The log files cannot be directly linked to specific individuals. We do not combine this data with cookies or IP addresses. However, we reserve the right to evaluate this data retroactively in individual cases where we have specific indications that such data is being used unlawfully. The log files help us to understand on what types of computer our websites have to function properly and at what times our websites are visited more (or less) frequently. With the information provided by these files, we can adjust our website structure, servers and database systems accordingly.
If you set up a user account with us or enter into a contract with us as a customer (e.g. goods order, newsletter subscription), we create a customer account in our system. This includes the master data provided by you, your order details and, where necessary, your accounting details (“customer data”). We store and process this data, because we would otherwise not be able to perform the contract with you.

Forwarding the data to third parties

We do not process all of your data by ourselves, but use the programs and services of other companies (“tools”). We will change the tools we use from time to time, where it makes sense to do so for legal, technical or economic reasons.

We currently use the following tools for the management and provision of data (particularly customer data, IP addresses, cookies and log files):

  • Google Analytics (records number of visitors to the website)
  • Microsoft Exchange server (contact data, emails)
  • Mailchimp (contact data, emails to large groups)
  • Paypal (payment processing)
  • Stripe (payment processing)

If you do not consent to the use of these tools, we may no longer be able to perform contracts concluded between us, or may have to switch to solutions that are less convenient for you.
We will only forward your data to providers or storage locations in countries outside the European Union to the extent that such is necessary to process orders and perform contracts.

Deletion periods

We will retain your data until such time as the order has been completed or the statutory retention periods have expired. These are defined, in particular, in Section 27 HGB (German Commercial Code), where the retention periods for business documents are regulated.

Information

You have the statutory right to request information on the data stored by us at any time. In spite of our endeavors to ensure that data is correct and up-to-date, should we have stored incorrect data relating to you, we will correct said data as quickly as possible at your request. Where you have given your consent to data processing, you may withdraw it at any time with effect for the future.

Supervisory authority

If you feel that we have failed to meet our obligation to inform, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (e.g. the Data Protection Officer of a German Federal State).

Voluntary provision of data

You are not obligated to provide us with your data. You may, therefore, refuse to have your IP address saved. In order to conclude and perform contracts between you and us, the processing of your data in the scope described above is, however, necessary. If you withdraw your consent to data processing, this shall render performance on our part impossible, although this shall not release you from your obligation to perform. (For this reason, you may not object to the storage of your customer data in the above-mentioned management systems until such time as the contractual relationship has ended).

Alternative purpose

If we intend to process your data further for a purpose other than that for which you made the data available to us, we shall provide you with specific information on this alternative purpose and the reason why we intend to use your data for it. You may withdraw your consent to further processing at any time.

Contact Details

If you have comments or questions about this policy or the way your personal information is processed by us or on our behalf, please contact us:

AM Academy GmbH, Alstertor 13, 20095 Hamburg, +49 (0) 40 99999 578, E-Mail: [email protected]

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Sinter-based AM technologies and process chain

Sinter-based AM - a technology overview

Many different printing technologies - one sintering process

The sinter-based AM (SBAM) technologies have, as the name suggests, the sintering process in common. In this process, the printed green part is consolidated into a dense part and receives its final properties. The green part can be printed in advance using different technologies.They all have in common that metal powder is bound to the desired shape by a binder. The best-known printing technologies include Binder Jetting and Filament Material Extrusion.

In this section, you learn everything about the sinter-based AM  process chain and get an overview of the different printing technologies.

Goal and structure of this course

This course is aimed at engineers, designers and other professionals that are working closely with sinter-based AM technologies. The goal is to cover the most important aspects that will enable engineers and designers to fully grasp the capabilities and technical limitations of the printing technologies and the sintering process to succeed in technology selection and part design. Besides going through the course from the beginning until the end, this course can also act as a constant source of knowledge while working on AM projects. 

The course is structured into the following sections.

This section will start with an overview of the sinter-based AM process chain and its printing technologies, followed by a technology deep dive into the most important aspects of the BJT technology, followed by a closer look at the debinding and sintering step also including sintering simulation .

The second section will provide an overview of the different materials that are available as well as part characteristics that can be achieved with the BJT process and typical methods for quality assurance. Finally, several common defects in the BJT process are presented. 

The last section will act as a guideline for designers. Besides generally describing the process when designing for Additive Manufacturing, actionable restrictions and guidelines for the BJT process are provided. The final section will present several design examples from different industries. 

What you will find in this section

Sinter-based AM process chain

From digital model to finished part

Data preparation

Simulation to compensate the deformation during the sintering step, nesting of parts and definition of printing parameters

Printing

Through various printing processes, different feedstocks such as metal powders, filaments, pellets or dispersions are processed into green parts

Unpacking

Unpacking of fragile green parts needs to be done carefully and is typically a manual process.

Debinding

Debinding describes the process of removing the binder which results in a brown part

Sintering

To reach the structural integrity of a metal part, a sinter process is required. The powder particles fuse together to a coherent, solid structure via a mass transport that occurs at the atomic scale driven via diffusional forces.

The brown part shrinks ~13-21 % in each direction.

The process chain of sinter-based technologies differs from other AM Technologies. Especially the post-printing processes (debinding and sintering) are crucial to achieve the intended mechanical properties.

Technology principle

How does Binder Jetting work?

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Afterwards the build platform moves downward by the amount of one layer thickness and a new layer of powder is applied. Again, the liquid binder is deposited and hardened in the required regions of the next layer to form the green body. This process is repeated until the complete part is printed. After the complete printing process is finished the parts have to be removed from the “powder cake” meaning the surrounding loose but densified powder. To improve the removal of the excess powder from the green body often brushes or a blasting gun with air pressure are used.

To create a dense metal part the 3D printed green body has to be post-processed in a debinding and sintering process. Similar to the metal injection molding process BJT parts are placed in a high temperature furnace, where the binder is burnt out and the remaining metal particles are sintered together. The sintering results in densification of the 3D printed green body to a metal part with high densities of 97 % to 99,5%, dependent of the material.

Printing Technologies

Metal Binder Jetting

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Material Extrusion

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Mold Slurry Deposition

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Metal Selective Laser Sintering

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting