Director of Sales, Americas – The ExOne Company, LLC
Harry has held the position of Director of Sales for the Americas at the ExOne Company, LLC (North
Huntingdon, PA) since October 1st, 2012. He is responsible for the commercialization, business
development, and sales strategies for Sand and Metal machines and products in the Americas.
Mr. Danford earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Marietta College (Marietta, OH), and was an
undergraduate research chemist at Brown University.
Speech Abstract:
The three‐dimensional printing process for metal parts and tooling was developed at MIT in the early
1990s. The 3D printing process in metal includes printing, curing, de‐powdering, sintering, infiltrating
and annealing. Existing material systems are 316 stainless steel/bronze, 420 stainless steel/bronze
(annealed and non‐annealed), M4 tool steel, bronze, tungsten, gold and glass. Part densities of 95% can
be achieved for fully functional prototypes and low volume production. Research developments are
underway to modify or eliminate some of the post‐thermal processing operations. Current systems
offer large build volumes, maximizing output per unit time. Industrial applications include heavy
equipment, impellers, blades and tooling. Spare parts for legacy systems in the defense sector also
benefit from the technology. In the art world, fully functional metalwork products can be created
without traditional manufacturing constraints, giving the artist virtually unlimited design freedom. The
process is also used for custom‐designed decorative hardware, three‐dimensional tiles, murals and
plaques. Industrial case studies are presented to highlight cost and time savings while capitalizing on
design freedoms not previously achievable.
Three‐dimensional sand printing to produce molds and cores for the foundry industry began in 1999 in
Augsburg, Germany. A catalyst is coated on the sand which is then spread in layers. The print head jets a
second component of the binder system selectively onto the spread sand layer. When this component
meets the catalyst coating on the sand, a polymerization reaction occurs which bonds the sand particles
together. The chemical bonds occur without the need for external heat. Standard foundry industry
materials are used, enabling easy insertion of the molds and cores into existing manufacturing and
foundry procedures. The process is used primarily for prototype castings and low volume production in
aluminum and magnesium, copper‐based alloys, gray and ductile iron, steel, stainless steel and high
alloy steels. In addition to producing complex molds and cores, the large printing envelope of 70 inches x
39 inches x 27 inches permits the manufacture of large components, exceeding 12 feet in length or 7
feet in diameter, when segmented designs are employed. Applications include complex transmission
cases and covers, gear box housings, pumps and impellers, and engine components, such as cylinder
heads, intake manifolds, engine blocks and tooling.