Metal 3D Printing: Process Validationfor High-Requirement ApplicationsGeorge Morar, Applications Engineer, Protolabs
WELCOME
DMLS is redefining 3D printing as
an end-use production method to
meet your needs for evolving
manufacturing technologies
NEEDS OF ENGINEERS ARE EVOLVING
50%of annual company revenues are derived from new productslaunched within the past three yearsSource: The product life cycle is in decline, Supply Chain Digital
60%of global manufacturers use data recorded from connecteddevices to analyze processes and identify optimization Source: BI Intelligence Internet of Things 2017 Report, IDC & SAP
$800Bin just three sectors alone, including healthcare, personalizationwill shift ~$800 billion, to the 15% of companies that get it rightSource: Boston Consulting Group 2017 Profiting from Personalization Report
WHO IS PROTOLABS?
We are the world’s fastest digital manufacturing source
for rapid prototyping and on-demand production.
CNC MACHINING: United States
LSR Molding
MIM and Thixomolding
2007 2014 2017
INJECTION MOLDING: United States
1999 2005
CNC Turning with live tooling
PolyJet
3D PRINTING (SL, SLS, DMLS): United States
INJECTION MOLDING: Europe
INJECTION MOLDING: Japan
Overmolding
Insert Molding
CNC MACHINING: Europe
CNC MACHINING: Japan
5-axis indexed milling
3D PRINTING: Europe
Multi Jet Fusion
IM
CNC
3DP
Sheet Metal
KEY
SHEET METAL
WE RESPONDED WITH EXPANDED CAPABILITES
ADDITIVE PARTNERSHIPS
INTRODUCING DMLS
FOR HIGH-REQUIREMENT
APPLICATIONS
Combination of in-house and outsourced
processes to deliver final parts
HOW DIRECT METAL LASTER SINTERING WORKS
WHO USES DMLS FOR
HIGH REQUIREMENT PROJECTS?
Nova-techThis 3D-printed component was designed to
work in a heat exchanger to support the
structure and promote flow mixing.
Material: Inconel
University of MinnesotaDesigned by the Liquid Propellant Rocketry
Design (LPRD) team at the University of
Minnesota. Working with Protolabs, the team
manufactured its second-generation engine with
internal cooling channels.
Material: Inconel
WHAT IS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS?
• Single Supplier: Metal 3D printing scale and secondary processes to support your
project from prototyping through end-use production.
• Design Expertise: Consultative quoting and design feedback from our applications
engineers with decades of 3D printing and manufacturing experience.
• Operational Excellence: A process engineering team dedicated to maintaining a
repeatable process at scale.
• High Reliability: Tight process controls to say what we can deliver, and then deliver
what we say.
A TURN-KEY METAL 3D PRINTING SOLUTION
HOW TO DESIGN FOR DMLS
• Material dependent
• Build parameters, normal or
high resolution
• Part orientation
• 200 to 400 µin Ra
• Select surfaces can be
machined or polished
SURFACE ROUGHNESS
SELF-SUPPORTING ANGLES
SELF-SUPPORTING ANGLES
• Example: Heat exchanger
with flanges
• Reduce material needed
for flange
• Can also use organic
shapes for even more
material savings
• Angle inlets and outlets
on pipe so they do not
need supports
REVISION 1
REVISION 2
HEAT EXCHANGER
REVISION 1
REVISION 2
COST SAVINGS
• Part volume reduced by 5%
• Support volume reduced by 75%
• Build time decreased by 20%
• Finishing time decreased by 75%
• Total cost reduced 35%
INTERNAL STRESS, WARPAGE
• As-built stresses radiate outward
and build up as additional layers
are added on top
• Larger cross-sections have
larger stresses
HIGH ← STRESS → LOW
INTERNAL FEATURES
• Internal features are features that can be
designed into parts to reduce part count and
reduce assembly time
• Must follow same design rules
• Supports cannot be removed, so they should
be designed in
• Take into consideration powder removal
BRIDGES
• Any flat down-facing surface
that is supported by two or
more features
• Minimum allowable
unsupported distance is small
(~0.080 in./2mm)
THIN WALLS
• <1mm (0.040 in.)
• Rule of thumb: Height-to-wall thickness 40:1
THIN WALLS
Examples showing self-supporting thin walls and methods to increase
height of thin walls
• Cylinder
• Tube
• Braced walls
CHANNELS AND HOLES• Channels and holes are self-
supporting features
• Great for conformal
cooling applications
• As the diameter increases,
deformation increases
• Common self-supporting shapes
are diamond or tear drop
15mm
(0.6 in.)12mm
(0.47 in.)
THREADS
• Threads can be printed,
but typically are not
functional as built
• Diameters can be resized
and chased with tap or die
OUR CAPABILITIES
METAL 3D PRINTING AT SCALE
38 metal 3D printing machines globally
Materials Available
• Titanium (Ti 6-4)
• Aluminum (Al10SiMg)
• Stainless Steel (17-4PH and 316L)
• Cobalt Chrome
• Inconel 718
Americas• Mlab—12 machines
• M2 (Single Laser)—7 machines
• M2 (Dual Laser)—6 machines
Europe• Mlab—2 machines
• M2—3 machines
• EOS M100/M280/M290—8 machines
DMLS DESIGN GUIDELINES
Resolutions
Layer thickness Min. feature size
Normal 30 microns 0.015 in.
(0.0012 in.) (0.38mm)
High 20 microns 0.006 in.
(0.0008 in.) 0.15mm)
Tolerances• ±0.003 in. plus 0.001 in./in.
(±0.076mm plus 0.001mm/mm)
Max. Part Size
Normal Res. 9.68 in. by 9.68 in. by 10.8 in.(246mm by 246mm by 274mm)
High Res. 3.5 in. by 3.5 in. by 2.9 in.(88mm by 88mm by 73mm)
(As printed, prior to post-processing or design review)
SECONDARY PROCESSES
POST-BUILD MACHINING
• Tighter tolerances on critical features, while still leveraging design freedom of
additive manufacturing
• Utilize customer-supplied drawing outlining the operations needed and the
expected tolerances (can achieve ±0.001 in.)
• Enhanced surface finish on critical surfaces (63 Ra µin)
Range of Technologies to Achieve Your Needs
• CNC milling (5-axis, 3+2)
• Lathe
• Wire EDM
• Drilling, reaming, tapping
HEAT TREATMENT
• Improve mechanical properties by relieving internal stresses that develop
during the sintering process
• All heat treatments are performed per ASTM 3301, unless otherwise noted
Heat Treatment Processes
• Standard stress relief
• Vacuum furnace
• HIP
• Stress relief
• Solution anneal
• Aging
• Other customer-specified heat treatments
QUALITY INSPECTIONS
• Dimensional validation of part geometry
• Inspection reports accompany each project for quoted inspection
Inspection Options
• Coordinate Measurement Machines (CMM)
• Handheld
• Gantry
• Optical scanning
• CT scanning
• X-ray
WE WANT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR PROJECTAdditional capabilities considered during
design review
• Specific post-process vendors
• Additional secondary processes
• Unique materials
• Specific machine type or size
• Modified processing
requirements
PROCESS ANDMACHINE VALIDATION
PROCESS AND MACHINE VALIDATION
• Parameter Development
• Targeted material properties
• Industry-leading surface finish quality
• Statistical Process Control
• Tensile strength
• Dimensional accuracy
• Density
• Test Coupons
• Mechanical properties tested per ASTM E8
• Density coupons tested per ASTM B311
MATERIALS AND POWDER ANALYSIS
• Material is purchased per its
ASTM standard
• Single lot tracking of material
• Powder is tested frequently to
ensure adherence to chemical
composition defined by the
respective ASTM document
• Particle size distribution is tested
for reference and tracking
ISO9001
AS9100 Rev D
ITAR
ISO13485*
QUALITY CERTIFICATIONS3D PRINTING - DMLS
*Eschenlohe, Germany facility
Q & A
HAVE A MODEL READY
TO BE QUOTED?
Upload your metal 3D printing design at
protolabs.com
THANK YOU
Stop by our booth #47 to pick
up a free 3D printing material
selector and get
your questions answered!
George Morar | Applications Engineer | 763-479-3680 | [email protected]