According to Montana Tech, its mechanical engineering department recently purchased more than $1 million in equipment to expand its 3D printing capabilities. Equipment includes an Xact Metal system, two One Click Metal MPrint laser powder bed melting systems and two MPURE Power Handling systems.
The combined capabilities of all three pieces of equipment – coming to market between 2023 and 2024 and valued at a total of more than $630,000 – give Montana Tech Advanced Manufacturing (MTAM) members the ability to print stainless steel, titanium and nickel-based alloys. Funding for the printers came through a cooperative agreement with the Army Research Laboratory. Other recent equipment purchases include a $46,000 3D scanner and a $170,000 high-speed infrared camera.
“We have some of the best additive manufacturing capabilities in the region,” said Associate Professor Dr. Nathan Huft, together with Dr. Peter Lucon heads the Montana Tech Advanced Manufacturing (MTAM) research group.
Several devices are available for mixing powder alloys – including several Lucon patented vibratory mixing machines and a powder rheometer.
The lab also houses a 3D printer that can print polymers on a large scale of up to 1.5m x 0.75m. Another printer can print special inks used for circuit boards. Five more can print resins.
“We really try to give students the opportunity to learn the printer because they can't do the research if they don't really understand it,” Huft said. “We encourage them to do their own projects because if they only do research, they will never know what the printers are capable of.”
Researchers at Montana State University in Bozeman have used the facility, and private companies have also expressed interest in collaborating. Graduate student Emily Maynard is focusing her research efforts on testing the strength of the various printed parts as part of a project for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Keyport. Another graduate student, Layton Bahnmiller, recently 3D scanned antique pieces and created digital models for a local theater company's historic theater seats. He then used the digital models to 3D print resin patterns to be used by a foundry to cast metal substitutes.