What is Direct Metal Printing?
Direct metal printing (DMP), also commonly known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), is an additive manufacturing technology that builds high quality complex metal parts from 3D CAD data. In the machine, a high precision laser is directed to metal powder particles to selectively build up thin horizontal metal layers one after the other. This cutting edge technology allows for the production of metal parts with challenging geometries, not possible using traditional subtractive or casting technologies. A variety of functional metals are available to print designs, from prototypes to production series of up to 20,000 units.
Metal Technologies in Additive Manufacturing
Direct Metal Printing (DMP)
Use this technology to improve functionality, reduce weight and/or consolidate components into one single part. A direct metal printing (DMP) metal 3D printer uses a laser to weld thin layers of metal powder to produce highly complex metal parts. DMP provides unlimited design flexibility and overcomes traditional manufacturing technique limitations for geometry and surface retention. Manufacturing costs for parts are not dependent on part complexity but rather, part volume. DMP is ideal for producing compact components with highly complex anatomical shapes, internal channels, complex surface textures, internal lattices, and high levels of detail. Additive and subtractive technologies can be combined for the most effective cost per part.
Series of food extrusion nozzles produced with DMP technology on DMP Flex 350 printer.
Is DMP the more efficient DMLS than SLM?
The basic technology is the same: a laser selectively welds thin layers of metal powder. But the difference is in the detail and experience. DMP printers from 3D Systems have been used to manufacture over 500,000 metal parts. This experience has been designed into robust metal 3D printers for repeatability, part quality, productivity and a low total cost of operation (TCO). Removable Print Modules (RPMs) allow change-over times of 1 hour and 24/7 uptime. The vacuum chamber enables oxygen (O2) content of <25ppm for consistent part properties and full powder usage keeping waste to a minimum. When part quality, volume and efficiency matter - DMP is the best choice for 3D printing metal.
Part consolidation from 20 to 1 in a Formula 1 exhaust metal 3d printed on DMP 350 printer.
What exactly does Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) stand for?
Powder bed fusion (PBF) is a term that summarizes all technologies that selectively melt and fuse metal and plastic powder to build up complex parts directly from CAD files. PBF methods use either a laser (DMP/DMLS/SLS) or an electron beam (EBM) and different approaches to spreading or applying the powder with rollers or blades. Direct metal printing (DMP) is a laser-based metal 3D printing technology that applies the material in both directions (bi-directional re-coating), counts on a vacuum chamber for oxygen exposure of consistently <25ppm for repeatable high part properties and uses a Removable Print Module (RPM) for short changeover times and 24/7 uptime.
Internal lattice structures in a combustion chamber for ESA (European Space Agency) produced on DMP printer.
How is Metal Binder Jetting different from DMP/DMLS/SLM?
In this process a binder agent layer by layer holds the powder together. A (green) part is produced faster than any of the other powder bed processes, but this is only one step in a longer row. Post-processing—such as curing, de-powdering, sintering, infiltration, annealing, and finishing the part—will often take more time than creating the first green part. The main perceived benefits of metal binder jetting are the production speed of the green part as well as lower cost. The main limitations of metal binder jetting parts are their mechanical properties. Parts produced with metal binder jetting show relatively large and inconsistent porosity, i.e. low achieved density of the final part. The resulting effect on mechanical properties makes the parts unsuitable for applications requiring repeatable and strong mechanical properties.
Today parts with the level of detail and mechanical strength requirements of these fuel nozzles cannot be produced with metal binder jetting technologies.