Metal 3D printing is a technology that manufactures complex three-dimensional metal parts by stacking metal powder or metal wire layer by layer.
The basic principle is to slice the metal material according to the computer-aided design (CAD) model, and then melt each layer of metal powder by a high-energy laser beam or electron beam, and finally form a dense three-dimensional metal part by stacking layers.
Main technical principles
SLS laser selective sintering: Use an infrared laser to sinter metal powder into shape, and stack layers until it is formed.
SLM laser selective melting: Use a high-energy laser beam to melt metal powder and print out complex structures and metal parts with nearly 100% density layer by layer.
LENS laser near-net shaping: Use a computer to control the melting and solidification of metal powder in the laser focus area to form a dense three-dimensional part.
EBM electron beam melting: Use an electron beam instead of a laser to melt metal powder layer by layer to generate a dense metal structure.
NPJ nanoparticle injection: Inject metal liquid nanoparticles into shape, then evaporate excess liquid by heating, and finally sinter to shape.
Advantages and disadvantages of different technologies
SLS: The manufacturing process is simple and the material utilization rate is high, but the laser power requirement is high.
SLM: Suitable for manufacturing parts with complex shapes and high precision, but it requires support materials and it is troublesome to remove the support.
LENS: It can manufacture moldless parts and is suitable for processing high-strength materials, but the equipment cost is high.
EBM: Suitable for manufacturing parts with high precision and complex geometries, but the equipment is expensive and the operation is complicated.
NPJ: Fast printing speed and high precision, but special nano-liquid metal materials are required.
Application fields
Metal 3D printing technology is widely used in industry, medicine, aerospace and other fields. For example, the industrial field is used to manufacture complex parts and high-stress components; the medical field is used to manufacture orthopedic implants and prostheses; the aerospace field is used to manufacture high-strength and complex-shaped parts.
Of course, metal 3D printing also has some disadvantages. The accuracy issue is a challenge. Although most applications are already accurate enough, some applications with high precision requirements may require machining or grinding to achieve. Surface roughness is also a problem, because metal 3D printing is made by laser sintering metal powder, so the surface is usually frosted, and a polishing process is required to achieve a smooth surface.
In addition, metal 3D printed parts often require post-processing to eliminate internal stress and defects. These post-processing steps not only increase costs, but may also affect the mechanical properties of the parts. In general, it is the highest-end process for metal parts manufacturing at present. If you have a large-scale 3D printing demand for metal parts, you can choose Mulan Group. The group currently has 12 years of experience in metal parts processing and has a variety of metal processing processes, 3D printing is one of them, and Mulan Group has complete certificates and qualifications, serving customers in more than 30 countries and regions around the world.
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