Advantages of Direct Metal Laser Sintering in Rapid Prototyping

Most people associate 3D printing with making plastic parts for prototyping or end-use purposes. But with advancements in additive manufacturing technologies, it is now possible to 3D-print metal parts using the direct metal laser sintering process.



Known as DMLS for short, direct metal laser sintering is a well-known industrial additive manufacturing technology similar to selective laser sintering (SLS). However, it builds parts one layer at a time by fusing metal-based powders with a high-power laser. As such, it can realize complex designs that would otherwise be difficult to make with machining and other manufacturing technologies. Plus, it can build parts without support structures, so you spend less time post-processing.

DMLS 3D printing can benefit your prototyping process in many ways. Given its speed, reliability, and cost-efficiency, it can speed up your product development and time to market to get ahead of your competition. Besides that, direct metal laser sintering can provide these other advantages to your project:

·         Make high-quality functional prototypes

Do you need functional metal prototypes? DMLS 3D printing can fulfill that requirement, so you test them in the real world. This way, you know exactly how your design performs in actual situations to verify its quality before you go into total production.

And if you need identical parts, you can also count on DMLS for that. After all, it is a versatile 3D printing technology that can be configured for low-volume production.

·         Make high-performance parts

Most customers who need direct metal laser sintering come from the aerospace and automotive industries. Why? Because it can deliver high-performance parts with excellent mechanical properties. As a versatile process, DMLS 3D printing is also reliable for other applications, including tooling, medical prosthetics, and mold and die inserts.

·         Real metals

Many different metals are available for DMLS 3D printing, with the most popular ones being aluminum, titanium, copper, stainless steel, and tool steel. Service providers like HLH Prototypes offer these materials to ensure production-quality parts you can test confidently.

Try DMLS 3D printing from HLH!

Contact the professionals at HLH Prototypes to learn more about direct metal laser sintering and its benefits for your project! You can also share your project for a free review and get design tips to make your part suitable for DMLS 3D printing.

Source URL: https://www.hlhprototypes.com/advantages-of-direct-metal-laser-sintering-in-rapid-prototyping/

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tips On Choosing The Right Prototypes Plastic Parts For Your Need

  Are you building a  prototype plastic part ? It's crucial to pick asuitable material, but that process can become intimidating as different plastics vary in durability, aesthetics, and strength. Even when prototyping, you’ll want to produce a production-grade prototype that lets you evaluate your product's performance in the real world. Here are some tips to reduce your guesswork in choosing plastics for your prototype.   Consider these critical factors.   Know the purpose of your part and its mechanical functions. You should also consider your manufacturing processes, such as CNC machining, injection molding, or 3D printing. Moreover, determine the quantity, the cost, and the lead times.   Explore commonly used plastics   Reputable manufacturers constantly update their selection of plastics, but these are the most common types you can consider for your  prototype plastic part :   ·         Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS): This is a strong material w
Read more

Rapid Tooling: A Perfect Speed to Market Product Development Solution

One of the greatest challenges that product manufacturers and designers face today is finding ways to speed up time to market. With consumer demands leaning toward rapid product development, manufacturers and product designers feel the pressure of having to churn out products in the fastest time possible. Just the same, new product development still requires a prototyping stage in order to ensure the feasibility of the product design, including its general shape and form, assembly, and functionality. Thanks to new technology, rapid tooling methods are becoming increasingly commonplace, enabling manufacturers to reap the benefits of much faster methods to create prototypes, which in turn speeds up product testing, final production, as well as its release into the market at large. Rapid tooling offers faster lead times of mere days instead of weeks or months, just like conventional manufacturing ways. Five to ten days is already a stretch when trying to get at least 50 prototype
Read more

Different Types of 3D Printing Prototypes

Image
Additive manufacturing lets you build three-dimensional objects based on your digital drawing model. It creates a custom   3D printing prototype  by adding materials one layer at a time or by sintering or fusing powdered materials, depending on the method you use.   Technologies have come a long way and introduced more 3D printing methods to help you make prototypes quickly, accurately, and cost-effectively. Here are the most common types you may want to know. Stereolithography SLA 3D printing is among the oldest and most versatile additive manufacturing technologies. It builds the object layer by layer using a photocurable resin cured with an intense UV laser in the build platform. The result is a  3D printing prototype  with a good surface finish and optimum accuracy to the CAD. The process involves support structures to keep the material in place while printing, but these are removed afterward. This technology is ideal for making aesthetic models and bespoke or low-volume pr
Read more