3D Printing Metal Materials
Utilize metal 3D Printing to produce durable metal parts. Metal 3D Printing is an ideal manufacturing solution for various applications and fast metal prototypes. We offer on-demand metal 3D Printing services.
All Materials
Description
Aluminum
High machinability and ductility, good
strength-to-weight ratio.
Stainless Steel
High tensile strength, corrosion and
temperature resistant.
Mold steel
High machinability and weldability.
high stiffness.
Types of Metal 3D Printing
Mainly, there are 4 types of metal 3D Printing technologies in the industry, including powder be fusion, material jetting, binder jetting, and direct energy deposition. The widely used metal 3D Printing technology is powder bed fusion, in which Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) are the most common techniques.
Both DMLS and SLM are using laser energy to fuse metal powder together and produce metal prototypes rapidly. Manufacture metal parts with complex geometries through DMLS/ SLM is feasible. A variety of metal powders can be used, such as titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, steels, etc.
Metal 3D Printing Process
Take SLM 3D Printing as an example, the printing process can be divided into six steps:
Prepare CAD files for the metal parts, and export the files as STL file fommat.
Convert STL files into G-code through slicer program, so that the metal 3D printer can read and understand.
Set parameters on the metal 3D printer
Parameters such as layer thickness, laser energy, and supports, etc. The first laver is rolling down by the powder roller
while the laser light selects an area and melt and fuse the materials together
The process repeats until final parts are shaped.
The printing bed is moving downward, and the roller rols down a new layer of material, and the laser light keeps
working on the selective area.
Cooling Down
Takes time for cooling down build chamber
Unpacking
Take the parts out of build chamber and remove residual powders on the printed parts
Post-processing
Send the printed parts to post-processing for better surface, higher hardness, higher mechanical properties, etc.