Metal 3D Printing | DMLS/SLM Manufacturing | Titanium, Steel, Aluminum, More

Metal 3D Printing Materials Comparison

Material	Tensile Strength	Key Properties	Primary Applications
Titanium Ti6Al4V	993-1055 MPa	High strength-to-weight, biocompatible, heat resistant to 600°C	Aerospace, medical implants, defense
Steel 17-4 PH	1365-1372 MPa	High hardness (50-52 HRC), corrosion resistant, excellent for tooling	Injection molds, tooling, bearings, instruments
Stainless Steel 316L	565-586 MPa	Superior corrosion resistance, biocompatible, weldable	Chemical processing, medical devices, marine applications
Cobalt Chrome	1213-1255 MPa	Extreme hardness, excellent wear resistance, biocompatible	Dental, orthopedic implants, high-wear surfaces
Inconel 718	958-993 MPa	High-temperature capability, excellent fatigue resistance	Jet engines, turbines, extreme-environment components
Aluminum AlSi10Mg	268-345 MPa	Lightweight (2.68 g/cm³), excellent for weight reduction	Aerospace, automotive, lightweight structures
Precious Metals	Variable	Gold, silver, platinum alloys with full purity	Jewelry, luxury components, specialized applications

Material Selection Guide

Choose Titanium When:

Strength-to-weight ratio critical (aerospace, medical)
Biocompatibility required (implants, surgical tools)
Heat resistance needed (>500°C operation)
Corrosion resistance important (marine, offshore)
Fatigue performance critical (cyclic loading)

Choose Steel When:

Hardness and wear resistance required (tooling, bearings)
Cost optimization important (lower material cost than Ti)
Industrial/manufacturing environment (316L for chemicals)
Precise hardness specification (50-52 HRC achievable)
Dimensional stability critical (lower expansion than Al)

Choose Aluminum When:

Weight reduction paramount (aerospace, automotive)
Thermal conductivity required (heat sinks, electronics)
Cost-effective lightweight solution
Rapid prototyping, non-critical strength
RF/EMI shielding components

Choose Specialty Alloys When:

Extreme temperatures (Inconel for turbines)
Wear/friction surfaces (Cobalt Chrome for dental)
Corrosion in aggressive media (316L in sulfuric acid)
Luxury/premium applications (precious metals)
Ultra-precision requirements (medical grade)

Industry Applications

✈️

Aerospace & Defense

Market Impact: GE consolidated 20-part fuel nozzles into 1, saved 25% weight.

Engine components and fuel nozzles
Landing gear and structural parts
Satellite and spacecraft components
Weight reduction: 40-50% vs traditional
Design freedom enables innovation

🏥

Medical Devices

Market Projection: $9.5B predicted by 2027, 77% expect maximum medical impact.

Patient-specific implants (hip, knee, spine)
Surgical instruments and guides
Dental implants and prosthetics
Custom orthopedic components
100% biocompatibility verified

🚗

Automotive

Market Leader: BMW produces 50,000+ components annually. GM Cadillac uses 115 DMLS parts per vehicle.

Engine components and manifolds
Weight optimization for efficiency
Complex cooling channels
Customization and variants
Supply chain simplification

🔧

Industrial Tooling

Efficiency Gain: 70% increased production volume reported, 82% cost savings achieved.

Injection mold inserts with integrated cooling
40% faster cycle times through optimized channels
Die inserts for metal stamping and forming
Zero tooling cost for design changes
Rapid mold iteration and optimization

⚙️

Industrial Manufacturing

Consolidation Benefit: Multi-part assemblies reduced to single components with integrated features.

Bearing assemblies and complex mechanical parts
Hydraulic and pneumatic components
Pump and compressor parts
Precision instruments and measurement tools
Assembly labor elimination

✨

Luxury & Jewelry

Design Freedom: Unlimited artistic expression, impossible geometries now achievable.

Custom jewelry from CAD to wearable
Precious metals: gold, silver, platinum
Artistic and sculptural designs
0.006" minimum features for fine details
No tooling required for custom pieces

DMLS vs Traditional Manufacturing

Factor	DMLS 3D Printing	CNC Machining	Forging + Machining	Casting + Machining
Design Complexity	Unlimited	Limited (tool access)	Very limited	Limited (core pulls)
Tooling Cost	$0	$500-$5,000	$50,000-500,000	$20,000-200,000
Lead Time	3-6 weeks	4-8 weeks	12-24 weeks	8-16 weeks
Material Waste	5-10%	60-70%	40-60%	30-40%
Cost Per Part (1)	$500-$10,000	$200-$5,000	$2,000-$50,000+	$800-$20,000
Cost Per Part (100+)	$300-$8,000	$100-$2,000	$500-$15,000	$200-$5,000
Internal Features	Unlimited	Limited	Impossible	Possible (core)
Design Changes	Free (no tooling)	$500-$5,000 each	$10,000-100,000+ each	$5,000-50,000 each
Best For	Prototypes, complex geometries, low-mid volume	Standard parts, high precision	High-volume production, maximum strength	High-volume, complex cavities

When to Choose DMLS

✓ DMLS is Superior When:

Design complexity benefits from 3D freedom
Internal cooling channels or passages needed
Multi-part consolidation possible
Rapid prototyping and iteration required
Production volume 1-1000 units
Design changes expected during development
Custom, one-off, or specialty parts
Weight reduction critical (lattice structures)

✗ DMLS May Not Be Best For:

High-volume commodity production (10,000+/month)
Simple geometries (CNC more cost-effective)
Maximum strength required (forging superior)
Very large parts (>31.5" × 15.7" × 19.7")
Surface finish
Materials not available as powder
Extreme operating temperatures (>600°C)
Production where density <99% insufficient

Metal 3D Printing Benefits

Cost Advantages

50-80% weight reduction = less material
Zero tooling costs = fast iteration
Material consolidation = assembly savings
Reduced scrap: 5-10% vs 60-70%
Supply chain simplification

Time Advantages

3-6 week lead time vs 12-24 weeks traditional
Rapid design iteration (no tooling delay)
Faster time-to-market for innovation
Responsive to demand changes
Quick prototyping for validation

Design Advantages

Unlimited geometric complexity
Internal cooling channels and passages
Lightweight lattice structures
Multi-part consolidation into single component
Topology optimization for load paths

Advanced Metal 3D Printing