Are you looking for the best custom metal 3D printing suppliers for your next project? Here’s a rundown of the top companies that can help you create complex and precise metal parts with ease. Let’s dive in and find the perfect fit for your needs.
Metal 3D Printing Service for Custom Parts | Online Quoting
Product Details: DMLS produces parts with nearly 100% density, though a small amount of porosity is present. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) can reduce this porosity for high-performance applications.
Pros:
– Suitable for prototyping in production-grade mater…
– Allows for complex geometries and functional end-u…
– Reduces the number of metal components in an assem…
– High strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance…
– Excellent biocompatibility with materials like Cob…
– Rigorous process controls and quality inspections…
– Various secondary processes like post-process mach…
Cons:
– Small amount of porosity present in printed compon…
– Requires specialized heat treatments to relieve in…
– Layer lines are visible in standard finish
– Limited to specific maximum part sizes, though lar…
Custom Metal 3D Printing Service
Product Details: Xometry’s metal 3D printing services include Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Metal Binder Jetting. These processes produce metal parts by fusing metal particles layer by layer.
Pros:
– Produces high-performance, complex metal parts wit…
– Can combine multiple assembly components into one…
– Faster and cheaper than traditional machined metal…
– Suitable for rapid industrial tooling, aerospace,…
– Allows for complex designs like lattices and topol…
Cons:
– DMLS is more expensive than binder jetting.
– Binder jet parts are prone to shrinkage, requiring…
– DMLS requires support structures to prevent warpin…
– Enclosed areas in DMLS prints must have holes to r…
Cheap Metal printing services? : r/3Dprinting
Product Details: The discussion focuses on cheap metal 3D printing services, particularly for materials like stainless steel, aluminum, and steel. Users compare prices and services from various providers.
Pros:
– Craftcloud offers competitive pricing and a satisf…
– JLCPCB and PCBWay provide affordable options, with…
– Craftcloud compares prices from multiple industria…
– In3dtec offers an online quote system and is noted…
Cons:
– Some services lack automatic uploaders, requiring…
– Shipping costs can be unclear until the order proc…
– Quality and material certification issues were not…
– Delivery times can be lengthy.
Metal 3D Printing Service
Product Details: Fathom’s metal 3D printing service uses Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) to produce high-quality metal parts without tooling. It is ideal for prototype, bridge, and low-volume production parts with complex geometries.
Pros:
– Enables the production of complex part designs tha…
– Eliminates up-front costs and enables on-demand pr…
– Allows for rapid prototyping and iteration of part…
– Produces parts with unique geometries such as conf…
– Consolidates assemblies into a single, lighter, an…
– Uses high-strength, lightweight materials like tit…
– No tooling required, reducing production costs and…
Cons:
– Requires expertise to consistently produce high-qu…
– Post-processing may be necessary to meet tight tol…
– Limited by the availability of specific materials…
3D Metal Printing Services (DMP)
Product Details: Direct Metal Printing (DMP) is an additive manufacturing technology that builds high-quality, complex metal parts from 3D CAD data. It uses a high-precision laser to selectively build up thin horizontal metal layers.
Pros:
– Ideal for high-quality, complex metal parts.
– Suitable for applications requiring lightweight pa…
– Minimizes material waste and enhances energy effic…
– Supports a variety of materials, including titaniu…
– Allows for multi-material printing and hybrid manu…
Cons:
– Lower precision compared to CNC machining, with to…
– Binder Jetting methods offer lower precision due t…
Metal 3D printing for tooling
Product Details: The Desktop Metal Studio System is used for metal 3D printing of tooling components, including mold cavity inserts, extrusion dies, stamps, and cutting inserts. It prints in tool steels like H13 and 17-4 PH stainless
steel.
Pros:
– Rapid prototyping and on-demand production of cust…
– Ability to print complex internal structures like…
– Significant reduction in lead time and costs compa…
– Capability to produce tools quickly and affordably…
– Enhanced design flexibility and reduced part cost…
– Digital warehouses for spare parts reduce inventor…
Cons:
– Initial cost and operational complexity of alterna…
– Requires specific facility considerations, includi…
Production 3D Printing of Metal Components
Product Details: Direct metal 3D printing service for stainless steel and bronze alloy manufacturing in quantities of 100 to 1000 parts. Offers complex geometries, nested cores, and latticing.
Pros:
– 10 times faster than DMLS and 8-12 times less expe…
– No tooling required, allowing for greater design f…
– Accelerates prototyping process and reduces materi…
– Compatible with various stainless steels and alloy…
– Allows for combining multi-part assemblies into si…
Cons:
– Limited to parts no greater than 5″ in their large…
– Overhangs over 25 mm require supports or fillets
– Inside corners need a fillet radius equal to wall…
– Hollow cavities need a hole to drain loose powder
– Thin connections between thicker sections may warp
metal 3D printing service
Product Details: Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is an industrial metal 3D printing process that builds fully functional metal prototypes and production parts using a laser to fuse metal powder layer by layer.
Pros:
– Produces highly complex features and all-in-one as…
– Fast production of metals like aluminum, stainless…
– Ideal for rapid prototyping, metal consolidation,…
– Used in aerospace, automotive, and medical industr…
– Quick turnaround times, often within 4 days
Cons:
– High initial cost of machines and materials
– Porous surface finish, requiring post-processing l…
– Limited to metals that can be fused by a laser
Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) 3D Printing | Get Custom Metal …
Product Details: Titanium (Ti6Al4V) is used for metal 3D printing, offering high stiffness and strength relative to weight, high temperature and corrosion resistance. Parts receive vacuum stress relief application.
Pros:
– High stiffness and strength relative to weight
– High temperature and corrosion resistance
– Comparable mechanical properties to wrought titani…
– Suitable for complex geometries and functional, en…
Cons:
– Requires post-processing heat treatments to reliev…
– Small amount of porosity present, though reducible…
Steel 3D Printing Service
Product Details: Steel 3D printing uses Indirect Metal Printing, involving fine steel powder glued together layer by layer, then sintered and infused with bronze for strength.
Pros:
– Very strong and suitable for large objects
– Ferro-magnetic
– Used for functional parts, spare parts, and jewelr…
– The cheapest form of metal printing
Cons:
– Requires post-processing steps like sintering and…
– Initial ‘green state’ model is fragile before sint…
Comparison Table
Company | Product Details | Pros | Cons | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|
Metal 3D Printing Service for Custom Parts | Online Quoting | DMLS produces parts with nearly 100% density, though a small amount of porosity is present. Hot isos… | – Suitable for prototyping in production-grade mater… – Allows for complex geometries and function… | – Small amount of porosity present in printed compon… – Requires specialized heat treatments to re… |
Custom Metal 3D Printing Service | Xometry’s metal 3D printing services include Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Metal Binder Je… | – Produces high-performance, complex metal parts wit… – Can combine multiple assembly components i… | – DMLS is more expensive than binder jetting. – Binder jet parts are prone to shrinkage, requiring….. | www.xometry.com |
Cheap Metal printing services? : r/3Dprinting | The discussion focuses on cheap metal 3D printing services, particularly for materials like stainles… | – Craftcloud offers competitive pricing and a satisf… – JLCPCB and PCBWay provide affordable optio… | – Some services lack automatic uploaders, requiring… – Shipping costs can be unclear until the ord… | www.reddit.com |
Metal 3D Printing Service | Fathom’s metal 3D printing service uses Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) to produce high-quality… | – Enables the production of complex part designs tha… – Eliminates up-front costs and enables on-d… | – Requires expertise to consistently produce high-qu… – Post-processing may be necessary to meet t… | fathommfg.com |
3D Metal Printing Services (DMP) | Direct Metal Printing (DMP) is an additive manufacturing technology that builds high-quality, comple… | – Ideal for high-quality, complex metal parts. – Suitable for applications requiring lightweight pa…. | – Lower precision compared to CNC machining, with to… – Binder Jetting methods offer lower precisi… | quickparts.com |
Metal 3D printing for tooling | The Desktop Metal Studio System is used for metal 3D printing of tooling components, including mold… | – Rapid prototyping and on-demand production of cust… – Ability to print complex internal structur… | – Initial cost and operational complexity of alterna… – Requires specific facility considerations,… | www.desktopmetal.com |
Production 3D Printing of Metal Components | Direct metal 3D printing service for stainless steel and bronze alloy manufacturing in quantities of… | – 10 times faster than DMLS and 8-12 times less expe… – No tooling required, allowing for greater… | – Limited to parts no greater than 5″ in their large… – Overhangs over 25 mm require supports or f… | rapidmade.com |
metal 3D printing service | Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is an industrial metal 3D printing process that builds fully fun… | – Produces highly complex features and all-in-one as… – Fast production of metals like aluminum, s… | – High initial cost of machines and materials – Porous surface finish, requiring post-processing l….. | www.in3dtec.com |
Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) 3D Printing | Get Custom Metal … | Titanium (Ti6Al4V) is used for metal 3D printing, offering high stiffness and strength relative to w… | – High stiffness and strength relative to weight – High temperature and corrosion resistance – Compa… | – Requires post-processing heat treatments to reliev… – Small amount of porosity present, though r… |
Steel 3D Printing Service | Steel 3D printing uses Indirect Metal Printing, involving fine steel powder glued together layer by… | – Very strong and suitable for large objects – Ferro-magnetic – Used for functional parts, spare par… | – Requires post-processing steps like sintering and… – Initial ‘green state’ model is fragile befo… | i.materialise.com |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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How does metal 3D printing work?
Metal 3D printing involves adding metal material, such as powder or filament, layer by layer. Each layer is fused by a laser or glued together with inkjet, and the part is then post-processed to remove support structures and undergo heat treatment.
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What are the common applications of metal 3D printing?
You can use metal 3D printing for prototyping in production-grade materials, creating complex geometries, and producing functional, end-use parts. It’s also great for reducing the number of metal components in an assembly.
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How strong are metal 3D printed parts?
Metal 3D printed parts can be as strong as traditionally manufactured metal components. Depending on the technology, such as Selective Laser Melting, these parts can achieve mechanical properties equivalent to casting and up to 99.5% density.
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What kind of surface finishes are available for metal 3D printed parts?
You have several surface finishing options, including 3- and 5-axis milling, turning, polishing, passivation, wire EDM, tapping, and reaming. Additional treatments like stress relief, heat treatment, and hot isostatic pressing are also available.
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Can multiple parts be printed simultaneously?
Yes, you can print multiple parts at once. The software allows for as many parts as can fit within the build box, and each part can be different or fully customized, maximizing time and minimizing waste.