(MIT News: Cambridge, MA) -- It’s not hard to understand why some of the world’s largest corporations have made huge investments in metal 3D printing recently. Manufacturing metal parts at scale currently requires companies to navigate complex global supply chains that take an unavoidable chunk out of the bottom line.

However, the cost, complexity, and time associated with metal 3D printing has ensured the technology’s mark on the multi-trillion-dollar manufacturing industry remains minimal.

Desktop Metal is working to change that. Later this year, the company will begin shipping early versions of its production system, a 3D printer that can produce up to 100,000 metal parts at a cost and speed competitive with traditional manufacturing methods. The company’s first product, the Studio System, improved the safety, speed, and price point of 3D printing prototypes and small batches of metal parts.

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