That question came from Shane Jetton during a conversation—and it stuck with me.  In an industry full of big promises and even bigger price tags, it's a fair question to ask.  At M5D (formerly MasterGraphics), we've been deeply involved in metal additive manufacturing for years.  And like many others in this space, we've made some expensive mistakes—investing in systems that didn't live up to the hype.  So when One Click Metal approached us about becoming a reseller,  our initial reaction was skepticism.  Affordable DMLS printing with industrial-grade output? It sounded like another lofty promise. But after doing the research—speaking with other resellers, end users, and evaluating their product line—we decided to move forward.

One Year In:  One of Our Best Decisions in Additive Manufacturing

Now, nearly a year later, we've installed over 10 One Click Metal systems across a range of customers—from small shops to enterprises.  And we're confident in saying this was one of the two best AM decisions we've made in the last decade (the other being HP in 2017).

Here's why:

1. Simplified & Safer Powder Handling

One Click's cartridge-based powder management system drastically reduces direct interaction with metal powders, improving both safety and cleanliness on the shop floor.  The integrated MPURE station automates depowdering and sieving, making unused powder easy to recycle and reuse—a crucial feature for cost control and sustainability.

2.  Industrial-Grade Hardware in an Accessible Package

Despite its compact size and lower price point, the MPRINT+ system is packed with serious performance:

• 200W Fiber Laser
• Galvo Scanner with scan speeds up to 3000 mm/s
• Focus diameter of 45 microns
• Build Volume of 150 x 150 x 150 mm

This makes the system ideal for both prototyping and low-volume production.

3. Cost-Effective and Scalable

Lead with price?! I always believe that any solution needs to start wit the "pain" first to see if there is even a solution.  The clear ground breaking part of the system is a total system price around $200,000, One Click offers a far more accessible entry point into metal AM compared to traditional DMLS systems, which often exceed $800k.

Want to break it down even further?  You're looking at about $5K/month, including equipment and maintenance.   That's a very manageable entry point—and a strong starting ROI for SMBs, service bureaus, or educational institutions.  

4. Modular Design for Future-Proofing

The BOLDSERIES platform includes:

• MPRINT+ Printer
  • Ask me about the lab print module - an innovative way to run different materials!
    
• MPURE Processing Station
• MONE 3D Print Software

This modular ecosystem makes upgrades and servicing far more manageable, ensuring that customers can scale their system as their needs evolve.

5. Remote Monitoring & Control

Through the MONE software, users can remotely control and monitor print jobs from anywhere—ideal for busy teams or distributed production environments.

Real-World Performance: Side-by-Side with the Big Guys

We've installed One Click systems alongside legacy DMLS systems that cost nearly four times as much—and the results are comparable.  That's not just a selling point, that's proof.  While no system is perfect—and One Click continues to improve, especially in their OS—we're confident in the solutions.  So confident, in fact, that we've personally guaranteed success to our customers.  

Final Thoughts

If you've been skeptical of metal AM systems, you're not alone.  If you've been burned in the past, we've been there too.  But the One Click Metal system is the real deal:  safe, scalable, and affordable—without sacrificing performance.  So, can you trust a $200K DMLS system?

Yes—you can!

And we believe it's changing the landscape of metal 3D printing.

If you'd like to see it in action, learn more, or talk to other customers, we'd be happy to connect you with the right people—even if you're outside our region.

M5D One Click Metal webpage

Thanks for reading!

Kevin Carr
President | M5D
kcarr@m5d.com

If you’re like most businesses, you’ve got numerous questions about additive manufacturing—perhaps even a few misconceptions, too. You’re wondering: 

• Why should I be excited about adopting additive manufacturing?
• Can it really provide a competitive advantage?
• How would it help solve my customer challenges?
• What if it doesn’t work for me?

We created this webinar to answer these questions and many more.  

In the first of our three-panel discussions, you’ll hear from additive manufacturing leaders who will answer these questions and MORE—all from their own experience. How they started. What they learned. What mistakes to avoid.
You’ll hear from:

• Peter Koostra, Director of Engineering, RE3DTECH
• Kevin Carr, President, MasterGraphics
• David Rosendahl, President, MindFire Inc., Moderator

Watch the webinar recording now to gain insights into:  

• The unexpected reasons organizations are adopting additive manufacturing for a competitive advantage
• How companies start their additive journey (often through diversification), and the surprising lessons learned along the way
• Which approach to additive manufacturing doesn’t work
• Answers to questions that our webinar attendees had about expanding solutions to customers’ challenges 

Over the years, there have been many myths about 3D printing. One of these myths is that it would completely replace injection molding or CNC.  While 3D printing is capable of an incredible range of applications, it doesn't have to replace everything you're currently leveraging.  3D printing serves as a flexible and innovative supplement to your existing technology.

Are you curious about what the actual use cases for 3D printing are and how you can leverage them and get optimal results?

Here's your chance to find out!

Experts from leading 3D manufacturing companies such as MasterGraphics, Re3DTech, Graco, and Enerpac will come together to share their knowledge and secret recipes for success.

Throughout the webinar, the keynote speakers will share with you:

The benefits of introducing more 3D parts into your company mix.
How additive manufacturing can improve your supply chain.
Actual case studies on how people utilize 3D printing for TRUE Additive Manufacturing.

You'll also get a chance to meet and network with seasoned professionals.  

Historically most machine shops have been job shops, which makes the business dependent on constantly obtaining new customers with new machining needs.  3D printers can enable a machine shop to create its own new products and gain more independence.  

Let us review why it makes sense to adopt 3D printers in machine shops today.  

• Diversification - Metal 3D print technologies are the next evolution to the machine shop.  The ability to complement their subtractive with additive manufacturing.  The evolution of adding plastics, carbon, and now metal additive manufacturing to produce tooling, fixturing, and end-use parts.
• Optimize the tooling with metal 3D printing.  Shops can now leverage 3D printing cost-effective plastic parts or metal parts to enhance workflows and projects.  A machine shop can rely on the printer to mitigate errors and improve timelines from pre-production prototyping to creating production tools to printing end-use parts for quick fixes.
• Small-batch production — additive manufacturing technologies provide direct production options for low volume production and bridge manufacturing.  Save on tooling costs with 3D printing directly from a file, and take advantage of speed to market.

Complex geometries are the best use case for metal AM.

Most importantly, metal 3D printing

• Is especially helpful for geometries that are costly, time and labor-intensive processes to produce on a CNC machine.  Designs that leverage metal AM's freedom to generate internal features of the part, intricate geometries such as lattices, and complex forms such as topology-optimized shapes to maximize their performance while minimizing their weight and the total number of components in an assembly.  
• Communication to the machinists to help interpret drawings that have so many call-outs and can be difficult to catch all with complex geometries.  This helps eliminate time and material waste with a CNC job that a call-out may have been missed.  A 3D print can be a valuable tool prior to machined part production.
• To produce parts for test fit and function.  This will shorten the feedback loop in the machine shop with 3D prints in advance of production.  3D printing allows for faster prototypes, setting up prints to run overnight then using parts the next day.

Jigs, fixtures, and other customized production tools are essential for efficient, effective manufacturing.  Tooling is a fixed expense that must be amortized across large quantities of parts. 

• One important capability is an alternative to casting.  Machining lead times can be a hostage to the lead times from foundries delivering cast parts.  With production, metal additive manufacturing in-house, the machine shop can print its own parts as needed, without any lead-time from a supplier. 

In summary, additive manufacturing eliminates the following barriers with tolling-free production:

1. Optimized designs
2. Mass customization
3. Rapid design to production
4. Cost-effective at any scale
5. Digital inventory
6. Low operator burden

To learn more about metal additive manufacturing solutions, please connect with us directly at https://www.mastergraphics.com/desktop-metal