Researchers have now tested a different way to manufacture WC-Co cemented carbide using additive manufacturing (AM, also commonly known as 3D printing). The material combines tungsten carbide, which provides hardness, with cobalt, which acts as a metallic binder that holds the carbide particles together. Rather than fully melting the metals, both methods softened them enough to form and deposit the cemented carbide. This distinction is important because completely melting tungsten carbide can alter its internal structure and reduce the properties that make it valuable. The findings suggest that additive manufacturing can produce cemented carbide molds without major defects, although the results differed depending on the fabrication arrangement.