The 3-part Studio System uses Desktop Metal’s patented Bound Metal Deposition (BMD) method to create parts. Similar to the widely used Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology common to most plastic 3D printers, BMD takes rods made of powderized metals bound in a polymer binder then extruders them layer by layer. It’s different from prevailing metal AM processes like Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) that use lasers to sinter metal supported by a bed of loose powder. BMD extrudes metal parts and support structures through a heated nozzle with no powder required. To prevent metal supports from bonding to metal parts, BMD employs a second extruder to deposit ceramic interface media between the two. By removing the energy-intensive laser and time-consuming powder from the process, Desktop Metal offers a faster and more accessible method for creating metal parts in-house.

After a part is printed, it goes through two post-processing stations. The first is a debinder that immerses the part in a chemical solution where 30-70% of the polymer binder is dissolved and carried away. While some binder remains to help retain the part’s shape, the process creates semi-porous surfaces that enable the rest of the binder to be burned off in the second stage. Next, the part is moved to a furnace where it’s heated to near-melting temperatures. The heat releases the remaining binder, disintegrates the ceramic interface material, and fuses the powderized metal particles together to create a dense, near net shape part.

One of the biggest advantages BMD offers over powder-bed methods like DMLS is the ability to print fully enclosed geometries. In powder systems, any void geometries have to be designed with drainage holes for the support powder to escape during post-processing. With BMD, voids contain zero powder, and the polymer binder can be removed from an enclosure with no drain required. This opens up a wide range of applications for parts with enclosures—the most important being internal support lattices that enable especially durable, lightweight parts.

The three Studio System devices can fit neatly alongside each other in an office, but they’re large enough that you probably don’t want to move them. The printer (94.8 x 82.3 x 52.9 cm) and binder (102 x 74 x 57 cm) are similar in size, and weigh in at 97kg and 150kg respectively. The furnace, on the other hand, measures taller and wider (161.8 x 138.0 x 75.4 cm) and weighs in at nearly a ton, a whopping 798kg. Even at its collective size and weight, Desktop Metal’s Studio System is a disruptive achievement in the world of metal 3D printing, where most devices resemble the basement-sized computers of the 1980’s and require dedicated power and ventilation systems.

Desktop Metal’s Studio System+ is available for $160,000, or $60,000 for just the 3D printer. Their Studio Fleet offering is designed to dramatically increase production capacity by adding additional printers and debinders. The 3 printer, 1 debinder, 1 furnace model advertises a 300% increase in throughput, and the 5 printer, 2 debinder, 1 furnace model claims a 500% increase. This flexibility in scale makes low and mid-volume production runs possible without adding unnecessary duplicate AM systems or without high-cost factory tooling.

For an overview on the metal 3D printing industry, visit our 2018 Metal 3D Printer Guide: The Best Metal 3D Printers in 2025