3D printing technology has emerged as the new alternative method to transform the virtual model into the physical object through a layer by layer operation. The application of the metal-based material in 3D printing is now on the leading edge of additive manufacturing industries due to its capability to fabricate complex shape rapidly. The commonly used 3D metal printing in additive manufacturing industries are the elctron beam or laser-based system. However, the expensive price of commercial, metal-based 3D printer has become limitation and challenge, especially for small/medium industries and Education institution. Hence, a novel design of a low-cost 3D printing machine that able to print metal-based material is developed. The machine design integrates multi-heat source, electronics, mechanical components with the computer interface. The flexibility of this machine allows metal inert gas (MIG) welding, Tungsen Inert Gas (TIG) or plasma system to be used as the heat source to melt the metal and deposit it layer by layer based on data from computer-aided design (CAD). With minimum adjustment, it allows the fabrication of any part from CAD with competitive cost; however, still have the standard benefits just like ant other commercial 3D metal printer. Besides portable, the low-cost 3D metal printer does not need high skill or expertise to handle it. The low-cost machine is potential to be commercialized for users who need to fabricate customized parts rapidly, engineering workshops, small/medium-scale industries and Education/research institutions.
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