Digital Alloys

The core of Digital Alloys' business was its patented Joule Printing™ technology. This process utilized commodity metal wire, a significantly cheaper alternative to the metal powders used in many other systems. The technology worked by passing an electrical current through the wire at the point of deposition, using resistance heating to melt it instantly and precisely. This method was designed for high-speed printing, with deposition rates of 5-10kg per hour, while using very little power. A key feature was the voxel-level control and data recording for every part printed, which enabled non-destructive quality assurance through machine learning analysis. The resulting parts were consistently dense (over 99.5%) and stronger than castings, without requiring common post-processing steps like debinding or sintering.

Digital Alloys targeted its technology toward industries that work with hard-to-cut, design, or source metals, including aerospace, automotive, and consumer products. The company attracted significant investment from notable backers. It raised $5 million in a Series A round in 2017, followed by a $12.9 million Series B round in 2018 led by G20 Ventures and including strategic investors like Boeing HorizonX Ventures and Lincoln Electric. These partnerships were aimed at accelerating the use of additive manufacturing for structural aerospace parts and other industrial applications. Despite its promising technology and strong backing, having raised a total of $19 million, Digital Alloys was unable to fully bring its products to the mass market and ceased operations, liquidating in July 2021. Keywords: metal additive manufacturing, Joule Printing, wire-feed 3D printing, multi-metal printing, resistance heating, aerospace manufacturing, automotive tooling, 3D printing technology, Duncan McCallum, Carl Calabria, high-speed metal printing, commodity wire feedstock, voxel-level control, dense metal parts, conformally cooled tools, titanium 3D printing, advanced manufacturing, G20 Ventures, Boeing HorizonX, Lincoln Electric, Khosla Ventures, additive manufacturing systems, production quality parts, industrial 3D printing, metal fabrication