DMLS
Metal Additive Manufacturing
What is DMLS technology?
DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technology. It is one of the most advanced and reliable metal additive manufacturing processes in the world.
This state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technology is used to manufacture end-use industrial metal components for a wide range of industries. The main applications are found in areas such as aerospace, automotive, medical, defense, energy and tooling.
How does it work?
With DMLS, metal parts can be produced directly from a CAD model. The main ingredient to create such a part is a metal alloy in powder form. During the process, an ultra-fine layer of metal powder is spread over the build platform. Then, a powerful and precise laser melts the material exactly in the areas defined by the CAD model. Thus, one layer of the part is completed, and a new layer of powder is applied. This process is repeated until the final component is completed, reaching a total density close to 100%. The part is finally separated from the build platform.
These are the main steps that define the DMLS process:
- The metal powder is spread over build platform.
- The laser melts the powder on the selected areas.
- The build platform lowers the thickness of one layer, making room for the next one.
- The powder spreads again, forming a new layer.
- The process is repeated layer by layer until the entire component is completed.
Materials
This technology offers a wide range of high-performance technical materials designed and optimized for this process. Depending on the needs and requirements of each application, the parts can be manufactured from aluminum alloys, cobalt-chromium, refractory metals, stainless steels, tool steels, and titanium, as well as precious metals such as gold.
