Introducing Fine Features, Turbo Mode for 17-4PH Stainless Steel

Earlier this year, we launched the Metal X’s Fine Features capability for Copper. Despite being a challenging material for many additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies, metal FFF (fused filament fabrication) is uniquely well-suited for printing pure Copper. As many parts require small details and intricacies, Fine Features for Copper unlocked access to an even wider range of electroconductive applications.

Fine Features is available as a new print mode for our 17-4PH v2 Stainless Steel material, selectable as a layer height in Eiger for solid-infill parts. In exchange for longer print times, this print mode allows users to dramatically increase the print resolution to achieve smoother surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and print smaller feature sizes — 1.) significantly improving the print quality of fine-featured parts that were printable but suffered defects, and 2.) allowing users to make new fine featured parts that were previously not printable on the system.

To print in the Fine Features mode, select “0.085 (Fine Features)” in the layer height dropdown. Fine Features prints at .1 mm layer height: the 0.085 mm value is post sinter.

To further improve the impact of 3D printing on customer development speed and time-to-market, Markforged brought Turbo Mode to Industrial Series composite 3D printers in 2019. While high-speed printing can negatively affect part quality for many vendors in the space, Markforged developed a way to accelerate printing while maintaining a high standard for mechanical properties and surface quality.

Now, Turbo Mode is also available as a new print mode for 17-4PH v2, selectable as a layer height in Eiger for 17-4PH v2. In contrast to Fine Features, Turbo uses larger layer heights to significantly boost print speeds. Turbo Mode lets you print 17-4PH v2 Stainless Steel parts faster than ever, at the slight expense of print quality and layer resolution.

On average, Turbo Mode lets you print Stainless Steel parts 35% faster than the base print mode — though some parts can far exceed that. Turbo can materially change the throughput of a Metal X System — especially those in a 1/1/1 Print/Wash/Sinter configuration. By increasing its throughput, the printer can better match the higher throughput of the Wash and Sinter.

Turbo Mode can be used with either Standard or Solid infill, printing at a .2 mm layer height with a 0.17 mm value post-sinter. To print a Stainless Steel part in Turbo Mode, select “0.17 (Turbo)” in the layer height dropdown in Eiger.

Interested in learning more about metal 3D printing on the Digital Forge?

Contact us to learn more.