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The Rapidly Machinable Metal Modeling Material
Instructions
Using metaMETAL is easy. Buy a block of metaMETAL, cut it
with any kind of tool into one or more parts, then send your
cut item(s) to a metaMETAL processing center to transform
it into solid metal.
Cutting
Some examples of ways you can create parts from metaMETAL are:
- milling or turning on conventional metalworking equipment
- machining on light duty CNC milling or turning machines
- cutting with common woodworking tools
- carving with hand tools
- trimming with a sharp knife
Do not use coolants when cutting; they are not required and could
affect processing.
Typical cutting feedrates and spindle speeds will range between the
recommended values for cutting wax and aluminum.
Health & Safety
Cutting metaMETAL yields small shavings. Minor amounts of dust may
be generated under certain conditions. The dust is not particularly
harmful (consisting of the stainless steel and polymer binder)
but inhalation of any airborne particulate should be avoided
through proper ventilation and use of a mask.
The metal is a prealloyed 316 stainless steel.
316 stainless steel is an alloy of iron, nickel, and chromium
plus small amounts of other metals.
As with most plastics some odor may be released during cutting. Make
sure cutting is performed in a well ventilated area.
Do not attempt to perform the processing in heat-treat
ovens or other oxygen atmosphere furnaces. The plastic in the material
decomposes into harmful gases, and a sufficient concentration could
present a risk of explosion. Return the cut parts to an authorized
metaMETAL processing center for processing.
The fully processed parts are essentially pure metal of the specified
composition (such as 316L stainless steel), and can be treated just
like conventional wrought materials.
Scaling
Because metaMETAL shrinks during processing you must compensate
for this by scaling your
desired part dimensions by a constant factor in all dimensions.
For 316 stainless steel, this scaling factor is 1.16.
For example, if you wish to create a ring shaped part with a 20 mm outside diameter,
a 15 mm diameter hole, and 10 mm tall, then scale all dimensions by a factor of 1.16.
(This is a trivial operation for most CAD or toolpath generation programs.)
| Desired dimensions | | Machining dimensions |
| 20 mm OD | | 23.2 mm OD |
| 15 mm ID | x 1.16 | 17.4 mm ID |
| 10 mm tall | | 11.6 mm tall |
To check dimensions of your machined parts to make sure they're
correct, simply divide by the scaling factor to determine the final
dimension. For example, 17.4 mm / 1.16 = 15 mm.
Although you can thread and tap the material, it's best to leave
these operations until after processing when you can use standard
taps and threading tools. Before processing you must scale all
thread dimensions including thread diameter, thread depth, and
pitch by the material's scaling factor (such as 1.16).
Disposal and Recycling
You may retain leftover sections of metaMETAL blocks for use in future projects.
Shavings and unwanted sections of material can be discarded with other
solid waste.
Clean material can be remolded into new blocks, although
any dust, cutting fluids, oils (including from skin), or
contamination will compromise
the block quality. If you wish you may return any very clean scraps of
metaMETAL material back for future recycling. Blocks made of recycled
materials will be sold separately from blocks made from new materials,
and most likely at a lower cost.
Processing Considerations
Parts with sections 10 mm (0.4 inch) or more thick take
longer to process since it takes longer for the decomposition
products of the organic binder materials to diffuse through
thicker sections of material. The maximum practical wall
thickness is about 15 mm (0.6 inches), although green-state
joining can be used to build up thicker parts.
A typical scaling factor to account for shrinkage is 1.16.
The parts will shrink uniformly in all directions due to
densification of the metal. Resulting parts will have
some residual closed microporosity (around 5%) but will be
gas-tight. The general tolerance on dimensions roughly 0.5%.
Improved tolerances are possible by refining the scaling factor
to account for the particular batch of material, iteration, and
careful control of processing.
During processing large overhangs may need support to help
reduce slumping. Also, parts should have a flat side they can
rest on during processing. For example if a table-shaped part stands on
long legs then during processing the body will shrink but the
ends of the legs will remain about where they contact the
setter plate, causing distortion. It's better to place such
a part with its flat side down. These and other issues can be
partly addressed through customized fixtures or setters.
Due to the unlimited kinds of geometries we may be asked to
process, we cannot guarantee that all parts cut from metaMETAL
blocks will be processed without incident. Please contact us
in advance if you have question about a particular design.
After processing, the steel alloy parts can be machined,
polished, plated, welded, and tested just like any other metal
component.
On-line Form Downloads
For more information, click on the links below to download product
literature in Adobe PDF format.
PLEASE NOTE: Specifications and pricing are preliminary.
Please contact CAM-LEM at sales@camlem.com
or by telephone at 216-391-7750 for more information about metaMETAL products and services.
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