#HTE

Forust is Using Binder Jetting to 3D Print Wood

Early attempts at 3D printing wood were clumsy, but the manufacturing technology has come a long way. A startup called Forust–which is a subsidiary of Desktop Metal, whose binder jetting 3D printing techniques we looked at here–has devised a way “to make high-volume wood 3D printing affordable, reliable, and sustainable [by] applying the speed, precision and quality of binder jetting to produce strong, lightweight wood components derived from two wood waste streams - sawdust and lignin.”

Where Desktop Metal uses metal powders, Forust uses sawdust for the powder bed instead, and what they’re calling a “bio-epoxy resin” for the binding agent. What they’re able to produce looks pretty darn convincing, at least in photos:

The company says the resultant prints can be worked with regular tools, will accept common fasteners and will even take finish. They also say they can “mimic a wide variety of wood species [including] oak, teak and walnut.”

They’re currently selling a series of 3D-printed wooden vessels designed by (who else?) Yves Behar.

Here’s a little look at their process: