3DPOD 310: Metal LPBF Under $10k with Tom Bakker, Metal-Base

Tom Bakker is a talented engineer who has worked in LPBF, custom machine building, and on semiconductor equipment. Now he wants to make LPBF metal printing cheap. With Metal Base, Tom is developing a low-cost system that will make LPBF accessible. He has already sold 6 to beta testers, and the systems are running there. Now, through Kickstarter, he’s sold 20 more. We hear about how Tom is planning to make LPBF accessible and how far he has come. This episode of the 3DPOD is brought to you by Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions, the industry leader in large-scale 3D metal printing and operator of the world’s largest wire arc additive manufacturing facility. Backed by Lincoln Electric’s 130-plus years of deep expertise in welding, metallurgy, automation, and process control, Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions helps manufacturers push beyond the limits of traditional part production, enabling greater design flexibility, more agile sourcing strategies, and new possibilities for producing large, complex metal components.