How to implement 3D metal printing in your company?

Introduction

Metal 3D printing is widely used by some industries, such as automotive, aerospace, or jewelry. Your business could benefit from it too! Why should you start considering metal 3D printing for your production? What are the benefits for you? Today we’re going to take a closer look at metal 3D printing and its implementation. We will see which technologies and materials could help you boost your projects. Are you ready to become a metal 3D printing expert?

The benefits of metal 3D printing

Metal 3D printing has all the traditional advantages of additive manufacturing technology, allowing:

To work on complex designs

3D printing is an excellent way to develop complex designs. By using 3D modeling software, you will be able to design any type of project. When designing your metal printing project, you will need to pay attention to the design guidelines of the material you choose, in order to create a printable and viable part. This will allow you to take advantage of all the benefits of this manufacturing technique, from part details to the most innovative geometric structures.

Mass Customization

Additive manufacturing is the best solution if you need to manufacture custom objects. Indeed, this method will be quite cost-effective for these projects, as you will only need to modify your 3D design and print it using, for example, a metal 3D printing service such as Sculpteo.

Topology Optimization

Using 3D modeling software offers many advantages. You have total control over the object that will be manufactured. It is the perfect method to directly optimize the design of your project, by modifying the shape or adding structures such as lattices. 3D printing allows you to optimize your part by reducing the weight, or to work on the strength of the part.

Small series at lower cost

Additive manufacturing is a really practical and cost-effective technique to manufacture small series. In fact, it can be a totally cost-effective method for your project, depending on the technology, the 3D printing material Have you ever thought about applying these 3D printing benefits to your metal projects? You should definitely think about it.

Metal 3D printing technologies

Whatever the 3D printing technology, before implementing it in your company, you need to know how it works. Then, you can choose the one that best suits your production needs. Whether it’s prototyping or producing finished products, there is bound to be a technology and a metal 3D printer that suits your needs. Here we will look at the different 3D printing processes for your metal parts.

DMLS

Direct Metal Laser Sintering, DMLS, uses a metal 3D printer to produce parts layer by layer with metal powder. The temperature required to sinter the powder is between 1510°C and 1600°C. This process is particularly useful for functional prototypes and small series production.

SLM

Selective Laser Melting, SLM, differs from DMLS in the power of the laser. With Selective Laser Melting, the metal powder must melt completely, so a longer cooling time is required. This technology is more suitable for pure metals like Titanium.

FDM

It is also possible to print metal parts using Wire Deposition technology. As with plastic 3D printing, this metal 3D printer uses a filament to print your parts. The process consists of depositing molten wire layer by layer from a 3D model. The advantage of this technology is the particularly low manufacturing cost to create prototypes and functional parts.

Binder Jetting

This 3D printing method sinter the powder using a binding agent, layer by layer. Then each layer is heated to solidify. With binder spraying, the 3D print is completed by being placed in an oven.

Lost wax casting

Investment casting combines both traditional manufacturing techniques and 3D printing. First, a 3D model is printed in wax. With this additive manufacturing technique, you get the perfect base model. Then, the mold is created with this model and the wax is melted and expelled out of the mold and replaced with metal. Lost wax casting is particularly interesting for the production of small objects in small quantities, such as jewelry.

Metal 3D printing materials

Aluminum AlSiMg0.6

Aluminum parts are produced with SLM technology. This metal is a material composed of aluminum (90%), silicone (7%) and magnesium (0.6%). It has good mechanical properties and can be exposed to high voltage. The advantages of aluminum are its durability and lightness.

Stainless Steel 316L

This material is mainly used with DMLS 3D printing technology. It is a mix of iron (66-70%), chromium (16-18%), nickel (11-14%) and molybdenum (2-3%). Its properties are impressive: high corrosion resistance, high ductility, and a smooth surface. As a result, 316L stainless steel is widely used in the medical, automotive and aerospace industries.

Titanium 6Al-4V

Titanium parts are also manufactured using the DMLS process. This material is composed of titanium (88-90%), aluminum (5.5-6.5%) and vanadium (3.5-4.5%). This 3D printing metal has a very good melting point (1660°C), low toxicity, good mechanical properties, and is lightweight.

Steel / Bronze 420SS/BR

If you decide to use this 3D printing metal, it is stainless steel (60%), manufactured using binder spray technology and then enriched with bronze (40%) to provide even more strength and resistance. It is not able to withstand as much pressure as parts produced with DMLS technology. It is recommended to use it for more decorative objects.

316 Stainless Steel

It is important not to confuse 316 stainless steel (created by bond spray) with 316L stainless steel (DMLS). These materials are produced with different 3D printing technologies. This metal is more precise and more suitable for the production of small, high quality objects. 316 stainless steel has high corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, making it an ideal candidate for tooling, molds and consumer goods. It will be the perfect metal additive manufacturing technology for your complex and functional parts.

Precious metals

If you are looking for materials for decorative pieces, there is a selection of three precious metals on our site: solid silver, brass and bronze. These metals are produced with lost wax casting. They allow the creation of complex and high quality geometries, mainly used in the field of jewelry. Solid silver and brass are also available with plating options, bringing new possibilities to your projects.

For which applications should I choose metal 3D printing?

Metal 3D printing has important benefits for certain industries. What industries and how do they benefit from metal 3D printing?

The aerospace industry

In this sector, the biggest problem is the weight of the parts. Whether it is for an airplane or a rocket, the weight of the parts is of crucial importance. Why is this so? Because to make these vehicles fly, the parts must be as light as possible. This lightness can be achieved in different ways. One of these solutions is to hollow out the part, which is not usually possible with traditional manufacturing techniques. Another solution is to fill the part with lattices, which allows to keep a very high strength while taking advantage of the lightness of the part. Another advantage of additive manufacturing is the ease of achieving complex geometries, which is essential in this industry and allows for the creation of completely new solutions. Finally, the last advantage, which applies to all possible industries: it is customization. Metal 3D printing allows you to create tools, or fasteners that are totally customized. Some parts are unique and need to fit a very specific problem. Additive manufacturing is the perfect method for this.

The automotive industry

The automotive industry also needs lightweight parts and new design solutions, but it also needs access to fast part production. Time is money, and implementing 3D printing at certain stages of your production process will save time and money.

It can initially improve functional prototyping, giving engineers the ability to create their prototypes in a short period of time, immediately test and adjust their products.

Once the final part is developed, 3D printing is still very beneficial to the automotive industry. It allows the creation of strong and functional car parts.

Jewelry

In many industries, not just jewelry, 3D printing allows for a more rational use of materials, which reduces production costs. Indeed, by producing parts layer by layer, only the necessary amount of material is used.

The jewelry industry is reaching a new level of detail and complexity with additive manufacturing. This offers designers new design solutions, but also new production solutions, for better quality. From bracelets to necklaces, additive manufacturing allows designers to reveal a whole new way of thinking.

How do you create a design for metal 3D printing?

So now that you know why you should consider metal 3D printing for your production, and you know the different technologies, we need to get to the heart of the matter: how to adopt additive manufacturing.

First, you need a 3D model. It can be downloaded from the internet. You probably need something customized. You can contact an online 3D printing service or learn how to model. Feel free to check out our selection of the best CAD software.

Once you have the model, it’s important to understand which file format is best to use, the importance of resolution, and which tools to use to repair your model if needed.

Once you have your 3D file ready, there are still a few things to consider: Do you want to invest in a metal 3D printer, or use an online 3D printing service that allows you to choose from many options? Buying your own machine is a huge investment, not to mention that you’ll need an expert to take care of the machine.