Metal

-DMLS
Direct metal printing (DMP), also known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), is an additive
manufacturing technology that uses 3D CAD data to create high-quality complex metal parts. A
high precision laser is directed at metal powder particles in the machine to selectively build up
thin horizontal metal layers one after the other. This cutting-edge technology enables the
production of metal parts with difficult geometries that would not be possible using traditional
subtractive or casting technologies. From prototypes to production series of up to 20,000 units,

a variety of functional metals are available for printing designs.

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a) The DMLS process constructs a part from an STL file, which means it slices the part into
layers in the same way that all layer-based additive manufacturing techniques do. For
sintering the metallic powder, a high-powered laser is used.

b) At the start of the process, a steel build plate is placed inside a build chamber with less
than 1% oxygen and an inert gas controlling the atmosphere. This helps to prevent
oxidation of metal powders during the construction process, preserving the metal's
quality while reducing fire hazards and making the final product inert.
 c) The build platform is lowered one layer of thickness during the construction process so
that the coating mechanism can move without colliding. The coating mechanism evenly
distributes the metal powder throughout the build platform, and the laser beam
selectively sinters the powder into solid through a two-dimensional cross-section. This
process of lowering the build plate by one layer thickness, the coating mechanism
dispensing powder, and the laser sintering it is repeated until the part is finished.

d) Once the part has cooled, the surrounding powder, which can be reused, is removed.
The final steps include removing the part from the build plate, removing the support
structure, and performing any necessary post-processing.

Applications of DMLS
Its widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. Medical prosthetics, tooling,
functional prototypes, and many other applications are also possible.

 DMLS supports the printing of 15 different metal materials for example:

 Scalmalloy
 Stainless Steel 17-4PHL
 Stainless Steel CX
 Ti6Al4V
 Ti64ELI
 Stainless Steel PH1
 AMZ4
 Cobalt-Chrome MP1
 Stainless Steel 316L
 Titanium Ti64
 Aluminium AlSi10MG
 Nickel Alloy IN718
 Nickel Alloy HX
 Nickel Alloy IN625
Advantages
 Metals in a Variety
DMLS makes metal additive manufacturing easier by supporting a wide variety of metals,
including aluminium, titanium, steel, stainless steel, cobalt chrome, nickel alloys, and precious
metals. As a result, engineers can select between pure metals and metal alloys based on the
needs of the 3D printer. In addition, many companies have launched new metal filaments to
capitalise on the growing adoption of DMLS technology.

 Metal Printing Direct

DMLS prints metal parts or prototypes directly, in addition to supporting a wide range of metal
alloys. Engineers can use direct metal printing to keep the properties of the metal alloy intact.
Many engineers take advantage of the feature even further to create innovative and superior
parts by combining multiple metal powders.

 Manufacturing of High-Quality Functional Parts

As previously stated, businesses now use DMLS technology to create both fully functional parts
and prototypes. DMLS is effective in producing functional parts that are both strong and
durable due to the metal alloys. Engineers can also create metal parts without melting metal
powder. As a result, the mechanical properties of the metal are preserved after the part is
manufactured.
 Mass Personalization
Engineers can produce parts using DMLS technology without the use of tools or fixtures. The
lack of tooling and fixturing allows them to more easily customise and fine-tune metal parts
during mass production. They can simply make relevant changes to the design and mass
produce a large number of variants of the part
 Design Independence
DMLS is one of the additive manufacturing technologies that does not necessitate the use of
any support structure by engineers. The lack of a support structure allows the technology to
produce parts with complex geometries and dimensional accuracy. DMLS technology is now
used by businesses to produce parts based on strict design rules.
 Smoothness
DMLS, as opposed to FDM 3D printing technology, uses filament to create parts. Instead, it
prints a variety of items with metal powder. Metal powder outperforms filament in terms of
ensuring the smoothness of parts printed with DMLS technology. Engineers can also choose
finer metal powders to make the printed parts smoother.
 Reusability of Materials
DMLS 3D printing technology, like SLS 3D printing technology, allows engineers to reuse the
unsintered metal powder after the printing process. Because of the material reusability, the
technology is effective in producing parts and prototypes while reducing material waste and
increasing overall material costs.
Disadvantages
 High Printing Prices
The total cost of a 3D project varies depending on the technology and filament used. DMLS is
one of the more costly additive manufacturing technologies. To combine the machine and
materials, businesses must incur both upfront and ongoing costs. As a result, DMLS is
frequently referred to as an industrial additive manufacturing technology. It is primarily used by
businesses to manufacture metal parts and prototypes.
 Porous Components
DMLS generates more porous components than other metal additive manufacturing
technologies. The engineers can also control the porosity during the DMLS printing process.
However, they do not have the option of eliminating porosity during the post-processing stage.
 Build Volume Is Limited
Engineers always choose and recommend the appropriate technology based on the build
volume when planning 3D printing projects. DMLS is one of the metal additive technologies
with small build volumes. The smaller the build volume, the more suitable the technology for
small parts. When producing large parts, businesses frequently look for DMLS alternatives.
 Slow Printing Rate
DMLS is not among the most rapid additive manufacturing technologies. Using a DMLS
machine, engineers can produce parts or prototypes in weeks. Slow printing speeds frequently
drive up the cost of professional DMLS printing services.
 Post-Processing
The post-processing activities in DMLS printing vary depending on the project requirements.
Post-processing is required in some projects to improve the quality and usability of the printed
item. As a result, businesses must incur additional costs for post-processing activities such as
heat treatment, surface finishing, machining, de-powdering, and part unloading. Post-
processing costs always increase overall DMLS printing costs.
SLM

 Selective laser melting is a metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses a
high power-density laser to melt and fuse metallic powders together.
Process
  Selective laser melting (SLM) is able to process a variety of alloys, allowing prototypes
to be functional hardware made out of the same material as production components.
It produces fully dense durable metal parts that work well as both functional
prototypes or end-use production parts.
 In selective laser melting, thin layers of atomized metal powder are evenly distributed
using a re-coating mechanism onto a substrate plate, usually metal, that is fastened to
an indexing platform that moves in the vertical (Z) axis. The parts are built up
additively layer by layer.
Materials

 Selective laser melting (SLM) machines can be used to produce tungsten parts. The
process uses atomized powders of AISI 316L, AISI 304, C67, F53, H13, 17-4 PH and 15-5
stainless steel, maraging steel, cobalt chromium, inconel 625 and 718, copper-based
alloys, aluminum, and titanium. The mechanical properties of samples produced using
selective laser melting sintering differ from those manufactured using casting. The
yield strength of AlSiMg increases in both the xy-plane and z-plane, but the elongation
at break decreases.

 Industry pressure has added more superalloy powders to the available processing
including AM108. The directionality of print is a major influencing factor along with
grain size, and the post processing via Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) Heat Treat and shot
peen changes mechanical properties.
Overview and benefits

 SLM is a fast developing process that is being implemented in both research and
industry. It has a limit in processable materials, undeveloped process settings, and
metallurgical defects such as cracking and porosity, but it can be improved with more
research in how the materials interact when being fused together.
Mechanical properties

 During selective laser melting (SLM) processes, high temperature gradients cause non-
equilibrium conditions at the solid/liquid interface, thereby causing rapid
solidification.
 SLM-manufactured alloys exhibit large anisotropy in mechanical properties due to the
special thermo-kinetic features associated with this process. These alloys also exhibit
 novel microstructural architectures that are difficult to achieve using conventional
techniques.
Applications

 Selective laser melting is suited to complex geometries and structures with thin walls
and hidden voids or channels, or low lot sizes. It can also be used to produce hybrid
forms, such as hip stems and acetabular cups.
 Traditional high-volume manufacturing techniques have a high set-up cost, while SLM
currently has a high cost per part owing to its time sensitivity and the overall capital
costs of the equipment. However, the process remains attractive for a number of uses.
 This technology is used to manufacture parts for a variety of industries, including
aerospace, dental, medical, and the tooling industry, and is used both for rapid
prototyping and production manufacturing.
 SpaceX's fully printed SuperDraco rocket engine, which operates at 6,900 kilopascals
(1,000 psi) at a very high temperature, was revealed in May 2014, and is slated to
make its first orbital spaceflight in April 2018.
 The ability to 3D print complex parts was key to achieving the low-mass objective of
the SuperDraco engine, and the FDA approved the first-ever 3D printed spine implant
made from titanium using SLM.
Industry applications

 Laser-sintering can be used to produce air ducts, fixtures or mountings holding specific
aeronautic instruments, as well as pump impellers, high pressure reactors and hard-
to-find spare parts. It is independent of economies of scale, thus liberating one from
focusing on batch size optimization.
Potential

 Selective laser melting is a relatively new manufacturing process that has become
highly proficient, but barriers to acceptance are high and compliance issues result in
long periods of certification and qualification.
Difference from selective laser sintering (SLS)

 SLM is a 3D printing process that uses a laser to melt a metal powder, and can produce
stronger parts because of reduced porosity and greater control over crystal structure,
which helps prevent part failure.
Benefits

 SLM is a fast, cost-effective manufacturing technique that can create complex

geometries and assemblies with fewer parts. It does not require special tooling like
castings.
Environmental impact

 The SLM process has an environmental impact due to the embodied energy and the
material considerations. Steel is 100% recyclable and should be discarded of at its end-
life through disassembly. The electric use of the printer is often the most energy
intensive part of the printer, as the high power lasers, chillers, configurations, and part
separation all contribute to this. The use of fully renewable energy rather than electric
made through gas or coal can be optimized for environmental friendliness.
 Transportation costs are negligible in comparison to other high impacting parts of the
SLM lifecycle.
 SLM can help make more lightweight parts with complex dimensions, which reduces
both energy intensive post-processing machining such as EDM or a computer
numerical control (CNC) machining and decreases part weight. SLM is often a more
sustainable option due to decreased raw material use, less complex tool use, and
lightweight part potential.
Constraints

 The size, feature details and surface finish of a 3D printed part should be considered
prior to the use of the technology. For production tooling, material density of a
finished part or insert should be addressed prior to use.
 The SLM process leaves a grainy surface finish due to the powder particle size, layer-
wise building sequence and spreading of the metal powder prior to sintering.
 Laser polishing reduces surface roughness by melting the surface peaks and flowing
the molten mass into the surface valleys.
 When using rapid prototyping machines, .stl files need to be converted to .cli and .sli
files, and this step can be costly.
Machine components

 SLM machines typically have a build envelope of 250 x 250 x 325 mm and can 'grow'
multiple parts at one time.
Plastics
SLS
SLS is an additive manufacturing technique that uses a laser to sinter powdered material
together to create a solid structure. It is similar to selective laser melting but differs in
technical details.
Technology

 Laser sintering process with powder bed, powder delivery system, roller, piston,
fabrication piston, powder bed, object being fabricated.
 SLS uses a pulsed laser to melt the powder material, and does not require a separate
feeder for support material. It also allows for the construction of previously impossible
geometries, and the fabrication of multiple parts has a far lower impact on the overall
difficulty and price of the design.
 Since patents have started to expire, affordable home printers have become possible,
but the heating process is still an obstacle.
Materials

 Commercially-available materials used in SLS include polymers such as polyamides

(PA), polystyrenes (PS), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), and polyaryletherketones
(PAEK). Metal materials are not commonly used in SLS since the development of
selective laser melting.
Powder Production

 Powder particles are typically produced by cryogenic grinding in a ball mill at

temperatures well below the glass transition temperature of the material. Chemical
binder coatings can be applied to the powder surfaces post-process to aid in the
sintering process.
Sintering mechanisms

 Sintering in SLS occurs in the liquid state when the powder particles forms a micro-
melt layer at the surface, and in the solid state at temperatures below the melting
temperature of the material.
Applications
  SLS technology is used in many industries to make complex geometries with little to no
added manufacturing effort. It is also used in limited-run manufacturing to produce
end-use parts for aerospace, military, medical, pharmaceutical, and electronics
hardware.
Advantages

 The sintered powder bed is fully self-supporting, allowing for high overhanging angles,
complex geometries, and batch production of multiple parts produced in 3D arrays.
Parts possess high strength and stiffness, good chemical resistance, and are bio
compatible.

Disadvantages

 Models made of resin can be damaged by prolonged exposure to the sun.

 SLA printing has a higher average cost because it is more complex. The use of 3D
printers necessitates technical knowledge.
 SLA printers should be handled with caution because the resin used to create your
high-resolution prints is highly toxic and should not be used by inexperienced users.

FFF
Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a 3D printing process that uses a continuous filament of a
thermoplastic material. It is usually done in two dimensions to deposit one horizontal plane at
a time, and then moved vertically to begin a new layer.

material extrusion
Fused filament fabrication uses material extrusion to print items, where a feedstock material
is pushed through an extruder. The 3D printer liquefier is the component predominantly used
in this type of printing. Extruders have a cold end and a hot end, with the cold end pulling
material from the spool and controlling the feed rate. The hot end consists of a heating
chamber and a nozzle, which melts the feedstock to transform it into a liquid. Different types
of nozzles and heating methods are used depending upon the material to be printed.
Changing the nozzle must be done while hot to avoid plastic leaks.
Materials
Plastic is the most common material for 3d printing via FFF and other EAM variants. Various
polymers may be used, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC),
polylactic acid (PLA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), PC/ABS, polyethylene terephthalate
(PETG), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS). Additionally,
fluoropolymers such as PTFE tubing are used in the process due to their ability to withstand
high temperatures. Extrusion based Additive Manufacturing (EAM) allows dealing with many
additional material types, such as thermoplastic polymers, composite materials, ceramic
slurries and clays, green mixtures of ceramic or metal powders and polymeric binders, food
pastes, biological pastes, and bioprinting.
applications for industry
Rapid manufacturing and prototyping are frequent uses of FFF and other additive
manufacturing by material extrusion (EAM) technologies. Iterative testing is made easier by
rapid prototyping, and rapid manufacturing can be a more affordable option for very small
runs. [26] The prototyping of scaffolds for uses in medical tissue engineering also uses EAM.
[27] Additionally, EAM with multiple extrusion has gained a lot of popularity for creating
biomimetic composites. [28] FFF is also used in the production of products in the following
industries: toys, sports, textiles, electronics, aerospace, automotive, building, and energy.
Pros

 a wide range of materials, including numerous common thermoplastics,

thermoplastics infused with wood and metal, and even food (such as chocolate).

 cheapest printer technology available.

 lowest cost materials.

 simple to change materials.

 It is feasible to print using a variety of materials.

 Many manufacturers offer materials and printers.

  You can construct your own printer fairly easily.
 rapid printing
cons

 The size of the nozzle places a cap on how detailed finished prints can be. Higher
detail is provided by other technologies.
 Due to the fact that each layer is joined to the layer below it, finished parts have a
limited strength.