Mutoh Industries Releases Value Arc MA5000-S1

It’s been said that no invention or inventor stands alone, instead they stand on the shoulders of giants. Most new technology is based on older technology, even if just peripherally. Additive manufacturing (AM) is no different. Don’t forget that one of the major components of the first 3D printer was a glue gun.

The idea of old technology made new is hard at work in Mutoh Industries' new 3D printer, the Value Arc MA5000-S1. The system prints in metal using a very old technique: arc welding. The idea of using an arc welder to 3D build parts isn’t necessarily new all on its own, but the Value Arc is the first system I’ve heard of that relies solely on welding to perform build jobs.

As might be imagined, using an arc welder for AM results in parts with obvious strata lines. To be honest, finished objects look similar in appearance to objects built with hobby-level FDM printers. Chunky strata are the norm. Mutoh is emphatic that built objects can be machined to give them a nicer appearance, similar to how objects built with the BAAM process are finished.

Positive notes about the Value Arc include a build envelope measuring 19.7 x 19.7 x 19.7 in. (500 x 500 x 500 mm), and the wide selection of materials it can work with including steel, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel alloy and Inconel. Print speeds range from 100-200 cubic centimeters per hour for “detailed” work to 500 cc/h for faster jobs.

Price is often a deciding factor for which system a company will go with, and this is an area in which the Value Arc might make a splash. Customers can order a new system from Mutoh for around $243,000. That is a pretty attractive price for a metal AM system.

I would think that this system would be most attractive to companies that already have established machine shops and are looking for a 3D printer to add in to the mix. It may be crucial to have the ability to work new objects following a build, which will require subtractive tools that some service bureaus are unlikely to keep on hand.

One final note. At the top of the page where the Value Arc is listed, the company has put up a warning not to use its equipment to produce any kind of weapons. Mutoh specifically states they aren’t to be held responsible for anyone that uses their tech in an unauthorized manner. That’s the first time I’ve seen any kind of warning about building weapons from a 3D printer manufacturer, but I suspect it won’t be the last.

Below you’ll find a video that discusses how arc welders work.

Source: Mutoh