According to Protolabs’ 2024 report, the global 3D printing market reached $24.8 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 21%. These figures confirm that the 3D printing market continues to show steady growth and significant potential for further development. And among the participants in this “race,” clear leaders are already emerging.
Denis Lvov, PhD — holder of multiple patents in Russia, the US, and the EU — is the creator of a fundamentally new technology called Selective Microwave Melting (SMM). His groundbreaking method of metal 3D printing using microwave breakdown has already been licensed by industrial companies in Russia, the Czech Republic, and Armenia. Lvov himself has taken part in prestigious forums, including FormNext in Frankfurt, Germany, and the 3D Fab+Print Moscow conference.
We spoke with Denis about how he discovered a new method for creating metal components, why microwaves are better than lasers, and how his technologies might one day aid lunar exploration.
Your scientific article “Conceptual Approaches to the Development of Models of Gas Flow Dynamics in Inflated Devices,” published in IRJMETS, explains the use of a microwave field for localized, controlled heating of metal powder. How did the idea of using microwave radiation for metal 3D printing come about?
I was first introduced to 3D printing back in 2008. The first 3D printer I bought used the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method to print plastic layer by layer. I still remember the magical feeling when something tangible began to grow layer by layer from nothing—from the digital void into the real world.
This subject fascinated me, so I began to study computer-aided design (CAD) on my own and started diving into the nuances of 3D synthesis using different materials and methods. What intrigued me the most was metal 3D printing, as it opened up virtually limitless possibilities. My thoughts on how to make metal 3D printing more accessible led me to search for a fast and inexpensive way to heat metal powder precisely where needed.
In discussing your discovery, you mentioned a study you conducted during your postgraduate research, where you explored the possibility of using microwave discharge to generate high-temperature plasma. How did you apply that knowledge in practice?
From my previous scientific work, I knew that microwaves were well-suited as a heat source. Simply put, my research focused on how microwaves could be used to inject energy into plasma—within known limits—to heat it to virtually any temperature, even high enough to initiate thermonuclear fusion. At the time, the research remained at the lab-experiment stage. Later, I decided to apply this knowledge to 3D printing.
Previous studies in this area had shown that magnetron radiation is difficult to focus. That led me to realize that instead of using microwaves themselves as the heat source, I should use microwave breakdown—a specific type of discharge in a microwave field. It is compact and controllable. I immediately tested the idea using improvised materials: a setup made from a tin can, a nail, and a pinch of fine metal shavings was placed inside a kitchen microwave.
When the microwave was turned on, a microwave discharge ignited—just as expected—in the gap between the nail tip and the can. It instantly fused and sintered the shavings into a small metal bead. That simple contraption became the “first prototype” of the microwave 3D printer, and the bead was the first object ever made using the selective microwave melting (SMM) technology.
You showcased your first printer at the world’s leading 3D printing trade fair — FormNext 2019 in Frankfurt am Main — where the device was highly praised by industry experts. Were there any challenges in building the first machine? What took the most time?
Since I built my 3D printer essentially on the mechanical base of an existing, mass-produced powder-based 3D printer, I managed to complete it in a record time of just two and a half months.
The scientific research and experiments, however, took a bit over a year. It was also crucial to file patents for everything that had been developed. After extensive study, discussions with experts, and with the help of a functioning prototype, I was able to prove the viability of the concept.
Today, the technology of selective microwave melting as a method for producing parts from powder has been patented by me in Russia, the EU, Canada, and the United States.
Previous studies in this area had shown that magnetron radiation is difficult to focus. That led me to realize that instead of using microwaves themselves as the heat source, I should use microwave breakdown—a specific type of discharge in a microwave field. It is compact and controllable. I immediately tested the idea using improvised materials: a setup made from a tin can, a nail, and a pinch of fine metal shavings was placed inside a kitchen microwave.
When the microwave was turned on, a microwave discharge ignited—just as expected—in the gap between the nail tip and the can. It instantly fused and sintered the shavings into a small metal bead. That simple contraption became the “first prototype” of the microwave 3D printer, and the bead was the first object ever made using the selective microwave melting (SMM) technology.
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