DMLS
The Process
In this process, powdered metal is sintered at 20-micron layers, which are traced in the X and Y-axes before the build tray lowers 20 microns. The recoater then sweeps over a new layer of powder 20 microns thin, allowing a new layer to be sintered on the already built layer. Though layers are sintered, it actually requires support structures, a requirement also found in the SLA process. Support material is the actual sintered metal. Parts require a variety of post processes, including heat treating, support removal, shot peening and more.
DMLS allows complex parts to be built in days versus weeks, and is quickly replacing the need for expensive fourth and fifth axis machining or investment casting.
Capabilities
• Rapid injection mold tooling
• Rapid metal parts
• Extremely fine detail resolution with 20 micron layers (0.0008″) and ”dual spot” laser to achieve feature details down to 0.203mm (0.008″)
• Highly accurate (+/-0.001″/inch)(0.0254 mm)
• Multiple alloys, including super alloys such as CoCr and Stainless 17-4 PH
• Fully dense parts using CoCr and 17-4 Stainless
