Advanced Powder Products, Inc.
301 Enterprise Drive
Philipsburg, PA 16866
(814) 342-5898
When you need precision metal prototypes fast, PrintAlloy® delivers. Our metal 3D printing rapid prototyping solution combines the flexibility of additive manufacturing with the reliability of production-grade materials. With no tooling required and fast turnaround times, APP helps product development teams accelerate iteration cycles and reduce time-to-market.
PrintAlloy® enables engineers to validate form, fit, and function earlier in the design process—especially for complex geometries that are difficult to prototype using traditional manufacturing methods. Ideal for small-batch production, PrintAlloy® supports low-cost, on demand rapid prototyping using metal powders formulated for Metal Injection Molding (MIM).
APP's PrintAlloy® process is designed to complement Metal Injection Molding. Our binder jet 3D printing platform uses the same fine metal powders and thermal processing techniques as MIM, making it a seamless bridge from prototype to production.
Because PrintAlloy® prototypes are made from the same alloy and particle size used in MIM, you can expect similar performance, surface finish, and material behavior. This alignment gives product development teams the confidence to move forward, knowing their prototypes will translate accurately into MIM-manufactured components.
Whether you're testing intricate designs or evaluating multiple iterations, PrintAlloy® provides a streamlined, cost-effective path to functional, production-representative metal parts.
Request a quote from APP's engineering team.
Upload your CAD file and place your order.
Receive your functional metal prototypes in as few as 10 days.
Test your parts and share feedback for final MIM tooling.
Binder jetting is an additive manufacturing process that uses powdered metal and a liquid binder to create highly detailed 3D parts layer by layer. Unlike traditional manufacturing methods that require machining or molds, binder jet metal 3D printing allows for the creation of complex geometries without tooling.
This method is ideal for on demand rapid prototyping, especially when development timelines are tight. Because there's minimal material waste and no mold cost, binder jetting is both cost-efficient and scalable.
The binder jet process begins with a layer of fine metal powder (typically 10–20 microns) spread across a build platform. An industrial inkjet head deposits a binder in a precise 2D pattern to "glue" the particles together.
Once a layer is complete, the build bed lowers, and a new powder layer is spread and selectively bound. This cycle repeats, forming a part from hundreds of cross-sectional layers.
The resulting "green" part is removed from the powder bed, placed on ceramic supports, and sintered in a furnace at temperatures between 1300°–1400°C. During this stage, the binder burns off and the metal particles fuse, resulting in a dense, solid part. Just like MIM parts, these prototypes can be heat treated, machined, and finished.
PrintAlloy® is purpose-built to enhance the MIM product development process. By using the same powders, sintering cycles, and design rules as MIM, our binder jet 3D printing approach enables accurate prototype testing without investing in tooling.
This allows engineers to:
With PrintAlloy®, you can move from prototype to production with fewer surprises and greater confidence.
| PrintAlloy® | Metal Injection Molding | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $0.00 | $25,000+ |
| Lead Time | Days | Weeks |
| Powder | 10-20 micron | 5-25 micron |
| Binder | Dryable liquid | Meltable polymer |
| Shape Forming | Layer by layer (50-100 micron) | Injection into custom mold |
| Debind | No | Solvent or gas phase |
| Thermal Debind and Sintering | Same | Same |
| Machinability | Same | Same |
| Heat Treat Response | Same | Same |
| Mass (g) | .1-300 | .1-300 |
| Tolerance (%) | +/-1.0 | +/-0.5 |
| Min Wall Thickness (in) | .015 | .008 |
| Surface Finish Ra (micro-inch) | 100 (xy), 200(z) | 32 |
| Investment | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| $0.00 | $25,000+ |
| Lead Time | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Days | Weeks |
| Powder | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| 10-20 micron | 5-25 micron |
| Binder | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Dryable liquid | Meltable polymer |
| Shape Forming | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Layer by layer (50-100 micron) | Injection into custom mold |
| Debind | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| No | Solvent or gas phase |
| Thermal Debind and Sintering | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Same | Same |
| Machinability | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Same | Same |
| Heat Treat Response | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| Same | Same |
| Mass(g) | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| .1 - 300 | .1 - 300 |
| Tolerance(%) | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| +/-1.0 | +/-0.5 |
| Min. Wall Thickness (in.) | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| .015 | .008 |
| Surface Finish Ra (micro-inch) | |
| PrintAlloy© | Metal Injection Molding |
| 100 (xy), 200(z) | 32 |
Our latest whitepaper explores how PrintAlloy® bridges the gap between concept and production in the MIM process. It outlines how binder jet metal 3D printing enables faster iteration, reduces tooling dependency, and improves design validation.
Download Whitepaper