Recent Trends and Prospects of Binder Jetting Technology

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has been attracting attention in recent years. In this field, powder bed fusion which uses lasers and electron beams as energy sources is the mainstream for metallic materials.

However, due to low productivity and high equipment and running costs, its implementation has been limited to specific applications such as aerospace and medical applications.

Therefore, binder jetting, another additive manufacturing method that solidifies powder by applying a binder, is expected to be applied to mass production because of its high productivity and lower manufacturing costs. This article discusses the historical overview of binder jetting, the latest trends of companies applying it to metallic materials, and the challenges associated with the social implementation of binder jetting and the companies’ efforts to overcome them.