3D printing technology has been developing rapidly worldwide for over 20 years. Industrial production extensively employs various technologies to manufacture metal components, with 3D printing technology advancing notably in the realm of metal fabrication. As metal materials are now commonly utilized in the 3D printing processes, what are the distinguishing features of different printing processes, and what factors should be taken into account when choosing appropriate materials? We’ll address these questions comprehensively in this article.
Metal 3D Printing: A New Technology Developed from Powder Metallurgy Metal
3D printing is developed from the powder metallurgy(MIM) technology, with materials developed from the MIM powders. The processes that are currently rising in the market include metal extrusion, binder jetting, and laser powder bed fusion (LB-PBF). Let’s introduce the features of each process.
Three Metal 3D Printing Technologies:
Metal Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM)
FDM fusions the metal material then builds it layer-by-layer until the 3D model is built. The process is quite similar to plastic FDM but with 3 main differences: bed temperature, chamber, and nozzle. These factors determine if the metal wire can be used for shaping.
The FDM printing process involves:
- Extrusion: metal wire is extruded according to the sliced model.
- Debinding: Remove the binder material(resin and wax) from the metal powder mixture. This is typically done through heating or chemical processes to leave behind the metal particles.
- Sintering: After debonding, the product is subjected to high temperatures and removed from the support structures.
However, metal FDM suffers from relatively low efficiency and precision, resulting in visible stacked patterns on the surface of printed parts. Consequently, it is less common in 3D printing outsourcing.
Binder Jetting Technology (BJT)
In binder jetting, a print head selectively deposits a liquid binding agent onto a bed of powder material and then solidifies the binder with a heated nozzle. This is followed by debinding and sintering (similar to MIM).
However, the high equipment and material costs associated with BKT make production costs a significant consideration when considering commercialization.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion Technology (LB-PBF)
LB-PBF utilizes high-power fiber lasers to melt metal powder for sintering. The powder is then leveled by rollers or scrapers. The difficult part of this technology lies in achieving complete sintering and controlling factors such as temperature, beam spot, and focusing lens simultaneously. This method is widely used in industrial metal 3D printing outsourcing both locally and internationally.
Three Key Factors Affecting Metal 3D Printing Processes:
Material Selection:
- BJ
Stainless steel is the main material used for Binder jetting technology. However, it tends to show instability in printing equipment and shrinkage when producing massively.
- FDM
Common materials for FDM include stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys. Compared to other technologies, FDM has relatively low Z-axis bonding strength in terms of density. It is mainly used in academics and is unable to be achieved for mass production or prototype testing.
- LB-PBF
LB-PBF technology has the largest material options and works with almost all weldable metals. Currently available materials include titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, and tool steels. The main challenge is how to convert metals into powder form and maintain their consistency and integrity during the sintering process.
Material Density:
Currently, the rankings of density are as follows:
- LB-PBF – 99.8
- Binder Jetting – 96
- Metal Fusion Deposition Modeling – 92
Surface Quality:
Roughness is a crucial factor affecting the quality of metal printing production. For example, after LB-PBF, a bead blast process will frequently be conducted.
The surface roughness for each process is as follows:
- LB-PBF: 5-8 (Ra)
- FDM: 7-18 (Ra)
- BJT: 5-8.8 (Ra)
This diagram represents a study analyzing data on surface roughness after sintering through tactile detection. These values were obtained by measuring samples within the ZX plane and XY plane. The average values from both testing methods enable technical comparisons. However, for metal FDM technology, the degree of surface roughness primarily depends on the direction of printing.
InstaVoxel’s 3D Printing Metal Material Properties
At InstaVoxel, we are not only driving technological innovation but also revolutionizing materials. Our range of plastic and metal 3D printing materials includes a variety of high-performance options such as IN718, 316L, 17-4PH, MS1, IN625, TC4, AISi10Mg, providing unparalleled solutions for aerospace, automotive, medical, molds, dentistry, custom consumer goods, and higher education sectors.
Our Material Feature
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Tensile Strength: Our metal 3D printing materials exhibit exceptional resistance to compression when subjected to strong pulling forces, ensuring each printed part is sturdy and durable.
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Density: Lightweight yet robust, our materials offer maximum strength and durability without adding extra weight.
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Yield Strength: Even under extreme pressure, our materials maintain their shape and functionality, demonstrating their outstanding quality.
Material Data Sheet (powder form)
Alsi10Mg | Aisi7Mg | Ti6Al4V | 304L | IN718 | |
Density(g/cm3)
ISO 3369 |
≥2.65 | ≥2.65 | ≥4.40 | ≥7.91 | ≥8.2 |
Tensile Strength(MPa)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥300 | ≥270 | ≥950 | N/A | ≥1060 |
Yield Strength(MPa)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥180 | ≥170 | ≥850 | N/A | ≥780 |
Fracture strain(%)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥7 | ≥10 | ≥10 | N/A | ≥33 |
Hardness HV/HRC | ≥85 HV5/15 | ≥80 HV5/15 | ≥290 HV5/15 | N/A | N/A |
316L | 17-4PH | 18Ni300 | 420DS | |
Density(g/cm3)
ISO 3369 |
≥7.91 | ≥7.70 | ≥8.00 | ≥7.70 |
Tensile Strength(MPa)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥620 | ≥1200 | ≥1800 | ≥1700 |
Yield Strength(MPa)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥410 | ≥1130 | ≥1700 | ≥700 |
Fracture strain(%)
ISO 6892-1 |
≥42 | ≥48 | ≥6 | ≥5 |
Hardness HV/HRC | ≥178 HV5/15 | ≥42 HRC | ≥48 HRC | ≥48 HRC |
Industry Applications
- Aerospace and Automotive: Bringing lighter, stronger, and more flexible component manufacturing solutions to these industries.
- Medical and Dentistry: Providing high-precision, biocompatible materials for medical instruments, surgical and dental implants, and customized dental products.
- Molds and Consumer Goods: Our metal 3D printing materials enable the rapid production of various complex molds and personalized consumer products.
- Jewelry and decorative arts: Metal 3D printing offers the flexibility to create personalized pieces, making it widely adopted in hands-on manufacturing. It minimizes material waste, provides a wider selection of materials, reduces the need for design reinterpretation, and offers cost-effective solutions.
- Education: In the realm of higher education, our materials provide strong support for research and innovation.
Our Commitment
At InstaVoxel, we are committed to providing comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions to help customers achieve faster development in high-end parts, small-batch customized product production, rapid prototyping, tooling, metal printing injection molds, medical equipment, and other applications.
After reading the article, we hope you have gained insights into the characteristics of different processes and can make informed choices based on your needs. InstaVoxel employs LB-PBF technology to provide metal 3D printing outsourcing services for tool steels, stainless steel, and aluminum alloys, with years of professional printing experience. Contact us for all your manufacturing needs and bring your project to life with precision and efficiency!