Metal 3D Printing Materials
As metal 3D printing technologies have matured, more and more materials have become available to print. Many of these metals can be difficult or expensive to fabricate using traditional manufacturing means, but are well-suited for 3D printing with unique material properties specialized for high-value operations.
Read this blog to learn about the five most common material groups within metal 3D additive manufacturing: steel, superalloys, titanium, copper, and aluminum. This post will cover their attributes, uses, pros and cons, and specific metals within each group.
Steel is the most common metal used in 3D printing. Its excellent material properties, versatility, and broad use in precision manufacturing make 3D printing steel an excellent option for creating high quality parts. Most types of steel can be printed, but the two types most commonly used are stainless steels and tool steels — metals that are more expensive and difficult to fabricate conventionally.
- excellent strength and stiffness
- wide variety of material properties
- heat treatable.
Stainless steels are strong, stiff steels that possess excellent corrosion resistance due to their significant chromium content (at least 12%, often up to 18%). Two types of stainless steels are commonly printed: austenitic and martensitic.
- Austenitic stainless steels, the most common type of stainless steels, are corrosion resistant and can be both machined and welded, though they cannot be heat treated. 316L is common 3D printed stainless steel known for its superior corrosion resistance.
- Martensitic stainless steels are much harder than austenitic steels, but more brittle and less corrosion resistant. 17-4 PH is a martensitic stainless steel that can be heat treated to fit a variety of material properties and is broadly used throughout manufacturing.
Tool steels are named for their central application – tooling of all varieties. They contain carbide, an extremely hard compound that’s critical to their ability to cut, grind, stamp, mold, or form. Generally, they’re very hard, abrasion resistant, and many are usable at high temperatures. The three types most commonly metal 3D printed are A series, D series, and H series tool steels.
- A Series tool steels are great general-use, machinable tool steels that balance wear resistance and toughness. There are eight varieties of A Series, the most common of which is A2 tool steel. It’s a versatile, cold-work tool steel often used to make punches and dies, as well as a wide variety of other applications.
- D Series tool steels are optimized for wear resistance and hardness. They’re not particularly tough and are only used for cold work applications. The most common variety in the D Series is D2 steel, a cold-work tool steel used for all kinds of cutting tools, from blades to industrial cutting tools and knives.
- H Series tool steels cut and shape material at high (or cycling) temperatures. H13 is the most common 3D printed hot-work tool steel. Its mix of excellent 3D printed metal strength, toughness, wear resistance, and heat resistance make it a good general use tool steel that’s optimized for use in high temperatures.
3D metal printing technology differentiates itself by being able to fabricate high-value alloys at relatively low costs. Often difficult and expensive to machine, 3D printing enables companies to produce high-performing parts more affordably than subtractive methods. Superalloys thrive in adverse environments — places with high heat, corrosive chemicals, or both. Though there are many printable superalloys, the two most common groups are Inconel and Cobalt Chrome.
- Excellent mechanical properties
- Heat resistant
- Good surface stability
- Corrosion resistant
- Biocompatible (Cobalt Chrome only)
The most common proprietary nickel alloy group is Inconel. This extremely strong, tough, and corrosion-resistant material is used in turbines, engine seals, and
rockets. The two formulations most used in 3D printing inconel are the stronger, tougher Inconel 718 and the more heat-resistant Inconel 625. Both are expensive
to machine conventionally, making 3D printing a cost-effective alternative.
This superalloy is known for its biocompatibility, high strength-to-weight ratio, and corrosion resistance; it’s essentially a higher grade, denser, more expensive version of Titanium. Like Inconel, it’s used in turbines and other hostile environments but can also be used in medical applications for which Inconel isn’t suitable, including orthopedic and dental implants.
While not a common material used in conventional fabrication, titanium’s strength to weight ratio and high cost (both material costs and machining costs) make it a great choice for 3D printing. Titanium is typically printed in two different varieties: Titanium alloys and pure Titanium (know as CP Ti).
- Strength-to-weight ratio
- Heat resistant
- Chemical resistant
- Biocompatible (process and alloy dependent)
Titanium achieves its best mechanical qualities when alloyed with other metals. The most common titanium alloy is Ti64 (Ti-6Al-4V) — a material stronger and 40% less dense than 17-4 PH stainless steel. It excels in corrosive and high temperature environments. These traits make it a top choice in industries where high strength-to-weight ratio is valued, like aircraft and high performance vehicles.
Commercially Pure Titanium (CP Ti)
Pure titanium isn’t as strong as most titanium alloys, but it’s highly biocompatible. It’s used for orthopedic inserts and similar medical applications.
Copper presents a completely unique value among 3D printable metal materials — it’s used for its thermal and electrical conductivity instead of its mechanical properties. Metal 3D printing allows engineers to create geometrically optimized copper parts like heat sinks, welding arms, and bus bars for a far lower cost. There are only a few systems capable of printing any version of copper today. Copper can be printed in its pure form or more commonly in its alloyed form.
- Electrically conductive
- Thermally conductive
- Corrosion resistant
Pure copper has the best thermal and electrical conductivity of any copper alloy,
making it the preferred option. However, due its high conductivity and high laser
reflectance, copper is incompatible with standard laser based systems. Pure
copper is only available on Bound Powder Extrusion machines.
Alloyed copper typically contains 1-2% of alloying elements, which make it
printable on some Powder Bed Fusion machines. These alloys, while still relatively
conductive, are inferior options to pure copper. An example of printable alloyed
copper is C18150, an alloy with chromium and zinc.
Aluminum, while used in some metal 3D printers, is seen far less in 3D printing than in conventional manufacturing processes. Its scarcity in 3D printing metal parts is due to two factors: low printability and relatively low costs in conventional fabrication. As a result, the potential ROI for 3D printed metal parts using aluminum, or the metal 3D printer price, is not always in favor of printing. Most common Aluminum alloys – like 6061 and 7075 – are not printed. Instead, Powder Bed Fusion machines that print aluminum typically print softer, casting grade aluminums. These casting grade alloys contain up to 12% silicon by weight and have inferior mechanical properties.
- Low weight
Alternatives to Aluminum in 3D Printing
Because the value of printing is relatively low, it’s not clear when it will become commonplace in 3D printing. Until then, titanium and steel provide similar strength-to-weight ratios when printed with open cell infill, while continuous composite 3D printers can produce aluminum-strength parts for a fraction of the cost.
Organizations interested in 3D printing aluminum parts should consider additive manufacturing with Markforged Carbon Fiber 3D printing — which can create parts with strengths equivalent to 6061-T6 aluminum, while offering enhanced material properties such as stiffness, impact resistance, heat resistance, and durability. Furthermore, compared to 6061 aluminum, reinforced Carbon Fiber manufacturing offers dramatically improved strength-to-weight ratios, which can be critical for certain high-performance applications in industries such as aerospace and automotive.
Free Metal 3D Printing Resources
Comparing Metal 3D Printing Technologies
What are the Benefits of Adopting Metal 3D Printing? Business Side and Technical Benefits
All of the blogs and the information contained within those blogs are copyright by Markforged, Inc. and may not be copied, modified, or adopted in any way without our written permission. Our blogs may contain our service marks or trademarks, as well as of those our affiliates. Your use of our blogs does not constitute any right or license for you to use our service marks or trademarks without our prior permission. Markforged Information provided in our blogs should not be considered professional advice. We are under no obligation to update or revise blogs based on new information, subsequent events, or otherwise.
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Kwa sababu ya teknolojia ya uchapishaji wa 3D ya chuma, vifaa vingi vimepatikana kwa uchapishaji. Vifaa hivi ni vigumu au ghali kutengeneza kwa kutumia njia za jadi za utengenezaji, lakini vinafaa kwa uchapishaji wa 3D na mali ya kipekee ya vifaa maalum kwa shughuli za thamani ya juu. Kwa mfano, kuna aina tano za vifaa vya 3D vya chuma: chuma, superalloys, titanium, shaba na alumini. Chapisho hili litashughulikia sifa zao, matumizi, faida na hasara, na metali maalum ndani ya kila kikundi. Chuma ni chuma cha kawaida zaidi katika uchapishaji wa 3D. Ubora wa vifaa vyake, kubadilika, na matumizi yake pana katika utengenezaji wa usahihi hufanya chuma cha uchapishaji wa 3D chaguo bora la kuunda sehemu za ubora wa juu. Aina nyingi za chuma zinaweza kuchapishwa, lakini aina mbili zinazotumiwa sana ni chuma cha pua na chuma cha zana - metali ambazo ni ghali zaidi na ngumu kutengeneza kwa kawaida. - nguvu bora na rigidity - aina mbalimbali ya mali ya vifaa - joto treatable. Chuma cha pua ni chuma cha pua chenye nguvu na nguvu, ambacho kina nguvu ya kukabiliana na kutu kwa sababu ya kiwango cha juu cha chromium (angalau 12% hadi 18%). Aina mbili za chuma cha pua ni kawaida kuchapishwa: austenitic na martensitic. Austenitic chuma cha pua, aina ya kawaida ya chuma cha pua, ni upinzani wa kutu na inaweza kuwa wote machined na welded, ingawa hawawezi kuwa joto kutibiwa. 316L ni 3D kuchapishwa chuma cha pua, ambayo ni maarufu kwa upinzani wake bora kwa kutu. - Martensitic chuma cha pua ni ngumu zaidi kuliko chuma austenitic, lakini zaidi brittle na chini ya upinzani wa kutu. PH174 ni martensitic chuma cha pua ambayo inaweza kuwa joto kutibiwa ili kukidhi aina mbalimbali ya mali ya vifaa na ni sana kutumika katika viwanda. Chuma cha chombo huitwa kwa matumizi yao ya kati <unk> chombo cha aina zote. Wao kuwa na carbide, kiwanja ngumu sana kwamba ni muhimu kwa uwezo wao wa kukata, kusaga, stempu, mold, au fomu. Kwa ujumla, wao ni ngumu sana, abrasion sugu, na wengi ni usable katika joto la juu. Aina tatu za chuma zilizochapishwa kwa 3D ni A, D, na H. - A Mfululizo chombo chuma ni kubwa ya matumizi ya jumla, machinable chombo chuma kwamba usawa kuvaa upinzani na toughness. Kuna aina nane za A Series, ambayo ni ya kawaida zaidi ni A2 chombo chuma. Ni versatile, baridi-kazi chombo chuma mara nyingi kutumika kufanya punches na kufa, kama vile aina mbalimbali ya maombi mengine. - D mfululizo chombo chuma ni optimized kwa ajili ya kuvaa upinzani na ugumu. Wao si hasa ngumu na ni tu kutumika kwa ajili ya maombi ya kazi baridi. Aina ya kawaida katika D Series ni D2 chuma, chuma cha chombo cha kazi baridi kutumika kwa aina zote za vifaa vya kukata, kutoka blades kwa vifaa vya kukata viwandani na visu. - H mfululizo chombo chuma kukata na umbo nyenzo katika joto la juu (au mzunguko). H13 ni 3D kuchapishwa chuma cha kawaida cha vifaa vya kazi moto. Mchanganyiko wake wa nguvu bora ya chuma iliyochapishwa kwa 3D, nguvu, upinzani wa kuvaa, na upinzani wa joto hufanya kuwa chuma kizuri cha zana ya matumizi ya jumla ambayo imeboreshwa kwa matumizi katika joto la juu. Teknolojia ya uchapishaji wa chuma ya 3D inaonekana kuwa ya kipekee kwa sababu ina uwezo wa kutengeneza aloi zenye thamani ya juu kwa gharama ya chini. Kwa sababu ya gharama kubwa na gharama kubwa ya mashine, uchapishaji wa 3D unawezesha makampuni kutengeneza sehemu zenye utendaji wa juu kwa bei nafuu kuliko mbinu za kuondoa. Superalloys kusitawi katika mazingira mabaya <unk> maeneo na joto la juu, kemikali corrosive, au wote wawili. Ingawa kuna superalloys nyingi printable, makundi mawili ya kawaida ni Inconel na Cobalt Chrome. - Bora mitambo mali - Joto sugu - nzuri uso utulivu - Corrosion sugu - Biocompatible (Cobalt Chrome tu) kawaida wamiliki nickel alloy kundi ni Inconel. Vifaa hivyo vyenye nguvu sana, vyenye nguvu, na visivyoweza kuharibika hutumiwa kutengeneza turbine, mihimili ya injini, na makombora. Inconel ni moja ya aina za 3D-printers, ambayo ni pamoja na Inconel 718 na Inconel 625. Kwa sababu ya gharama kubwa ya mashine, uchapishaji wa 3D ni mbadala wa gharama nafuu. Hii superalloy inajulikana kwa biocompatibility yake, nguvu ya juu-kwa-uzito uwiano, na upinzani wa kutu; ni kimsingi daraja la juu, dense, toleo ghali zaidi ya Titanium. Kama Inconel, ni kutumika katika turbines na mazingira mengine ya uhasama lakini pia inaweza kutumika katika maombi ya matibabu ambayo Inconel si yanafaa, ikiwa ni pamoja na implants orthopedic na meno. Ingawa si nyenzo ya kawaida kutumika katika utengenezaji wa kawaida, nguvu ya titani kwa uwiano wa uzito na gharama ya juu (mashine gharama na gharama za uchapishaji) kufanya ni chaguo kubwa kwa ajili ya uchapishaji 3D. Titanium ni kawaida kuchapishwa katika aina mbili tofauti: Titanium alloys na Titanium safi (kujulikana kama CP Ti). - Nguvu-kwa-uzito uwiano - joto sugu - kemikali sugu - Biocompatible (mchakato na alloy tegemezi) Titanium hufikia sifa zake bora ya mitambo wakati alloyed na metali nyingine. Ti-6Al-4V ni chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma cha chuma. Ni bora katika mazingira corrosive na joto la juu. Sifa hizi hufanya chaguo bora katika viwanda ambapo nguvu ya juu-kwa-uzito uwiano ni thamani, kama ndege na magari ya utendaji wa juu. Kibiashara Pure Titanium (CP Ti) Pure titanium si imara kama wengi titanium alloys, lakini ni biocompatible sana. Ni kutumika kwa ajili ya inserts orthopedic na maombi sawa ya matibabu. Kupara ni moja ya vifaa vya chuma vya kuchapishwa kwa 3D, na hutumiwa kwa conductivity yake ya joto na umeme badala ya mali zake za mitambo. Uchapishaji wa 3D wa chuma unawawezesha wahandisi kuunda sehemu za shaba zilizoboreshwa kijiometri kama vile sinki za joto, mikono ya kulehemu, na baa za basi kwa gharama ya chini zaidi. Kuna mifumo michache tu inayoweza kuchapisha toleo lolote la shaba leo. Shaba inaweza kuchapishwa katika fomu yake safi au kwa kawaida katika fomu yake alloyed. - umeme conductive - thermal conductive - corrosion sugu Pure shaba ina bora joto na umeme conductivity ya yoyote shaba alloy, na kufanya hivyo chaguo preferred. Hata hivyo, kutokana na conductivity yake ya juu na high laser reflection, shaba ni incompatible na kiwango cha laser msingi mifumo. Shaba safi inapatikana tu kwenye mashine za Bound Powder Extrusion. Kupara alloyed kawaida ina 1-2% ya alloying vipengele, ambayo kufanya hivyo printable juu ya baadhi ya mashine Powder Bed Fusion. Aloi hizi, ingawa bado ni zenye kuongoza umeme, ni chaguzi duni kuliko shaba safi. Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma cha Chuma. Aluminium, wakati kutumika katika baadhi ya chuma 3D printa, ni kuonekana mbali chini katika 3D uchapishaji kuliko katika taratibu za kawaida za utengenezaji. Ukosefu wake katika uchapishaji wa 3D wa sehemu za chuma unatokana na sababu mbili: uwezo mdogo wa kuchapisha na gharama za chini katika utengenezaji wa kawaida. Kwa hivyo, ROI ya uwezekano wa sehemu za chuma zilizochapishwa kwa 3D kwa kutumia alumini, au bei ya printa ya chuma ya 3D, sio kila wakati kwa niaba ya uchapishaji. Aluminamu ya kawaida ya 6061 na 7075 haichapishwi. Badala yake, mashine za Powder Bed Fusion ambazo huchapisha alumini kwa kawaida huchapisha aluminamu laini, ya kiwango cha kutupwa. Aloi hizi za kiwango cha kutupwa zina hadi 12% ya silicon kwa uzito na zina mali duni za mitambo. Kwa sababu thamani ya uchapishaji ni ya chini, haijulikani ni lini itakuwa ya kawaida katika uchapishaji wa 3D. Kabla ya hapo, titani na chuma hutoa uwiano sawa wa nguvu kwa uzito wakati wa kuchapishwa na kujaza seli wazi, wakati wachapishaji wa 3D wa mchanganyiko wa kuendelea wanaweza kutengeneza sehemu za nguvu ya alumini kwa sehemu ya gharama. Kampuni zinazohusika katika uchapishaji wa 3D wa sehemu za alumini zinapaswa kuzingatia utengenezaji wa nyongeza na uchapishaji wa 3D wa nyuzi za kaboni za Markforged, ambayo inaweza kuunda sehemu zenye nguvu sawa na alumini ya 606 T6 na kutoa mali ya nyenzo iliyoimarishwa kama vile ugumu, upinzani wa athari, upinzani wa joto na uimara. Kwa kuongezea, ikilinganishwa na alumini 6061, utengenezaji wa nyuzi za kaboni zilizoimarishwa hutoa uwiano wa nguvu-kwa-uzito ulioboreshwa sana, ambayo inaweza kuwa muhimu kwa matumizi fulani ya utendaji wa juu katika viwanda kama vile anga na magari. Kwa mfano, ni nini kinachohitajika ili kuunda uchapishaji wa 3D wa chuma? Mafao ya Biashara na Ufundi: Blogi zote na habari zilizomo ndani ya blogi hizo zina haki za uchapaji na Markforged, Inc. na haziwezi kunakiliwa, kubadilishwa, au kupitishwa kwa njia yoyote bila ruhusa yetu ya maandishi. Blogi zetu zinaweza kuwa na alama zetu za huduma au alama za biashara, pamoja na zile za washirika wetu. Matumizi yako ya blogi zetu hayana haki au leseni yoyote ya kutumia alama zetu za huduma au alama za biashara bila ruhusa yetu ya awali. Markforged Habari zinazotolewa katika blogi zetu hazipaswi kuchukuliwa ushauri wa kitaaluma. Hatuna wajibu wa kusasisha au kurekebisha blogi kulingana na habari mpya, matukio ya baadaye, au vinginevyo. 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