Design metal prints around their full manufacturing route: supports, powder removal, heat treatment, machining access and inspection of the features that earn the added complexity.
A recoater spreads metal powder and one or more lasers selectively melt each cross-section onto a build plate. Inert atmosphere, scan strategy, support design and the operations after printing are part of the material condition.
Prepare
Build preparation assigns orientation, scan data and supports that anchor the part and conduct heat into the plate.
Recoat
A recoater applies a thin layer across the build platform under the machine’s controlled atmosphere.
Melt
The laser follows the material/system parameter set, melting the cross-section and joining it to the layer below.
Complete
After the repeated build, powder is removed and the qualified route can include stress relief, plate/support removal, heat treatment, machining and inspection.
EOS describes LPBF parameters such as laser power, scan strategy and layer thickness as material-, system- and application-specific. A powder chemistry without its process and final condition is incomplete evidence.
DMLS and SLM are commonly used names for metal laser powder bed fusion. Evaluate the finished component, including every operation after the build.
A cutter removes material from solid stock. Every feature needs tool access, so internal passages are straight drilled bores. Precise, no tooling, cost scales with cutting time.
The part grows layer by layer on a plate. Internal channels and consolidated shapes are free, but overhangs need supports and each part costs about the same at any quantity.
Material fills a cavity cut into a tool. The tool is paid once, then each part is cheap and fast, so the route only pays off at quantity.
Schematic illustrations; not to scale. Confirm the design for the chosen material, process and final use.
CNC
A plate, shaft or simple bracket is a strong candidate for machining. Compare the actual quote rather than assuming printed metal is cheaper at quantity one.
Channels
Conformal passages can justify additive when powder can be removed and channel cleanliness, flow and leakage can be verified.
Consolidate
One printed part may replace multiple pieces. Keep enough access for post-processing, inspection and repair; consolidation is not automatically a saving.
The powder around a metal print does not perform the same job as attached supports. Supports can anchor features and provide a heat path as well as carry an overhang.
A layer-built part is weakest where a load pulls layers apart (the Z direction). Orient the part so the main load runs along the layers, or design to the Z data of the material.
Every face that overhangs the plate needs supports and comes out rougher underneath. Turning the part removes the supports but changes footprint, build height and which faces sit on the plate.
Schematic illustrations; not to scale. Confirm the design for the chosen material, process and final use.
| Feature | Useful starting point | Qualification needed |
|---|---|---|
| Thin wall | 0.4 mm published exampleEOS AlSi10Mg, M 290, 30 µm process | This is a process minimum, not a structural wall. Alloy, height, curvature and stress can require substantially more thickness. |
| Overhang | 45° above the build plane is a common review point | The limit depends on alloy, settings, span and surface requirements; specialised processes may work below this angle. |
| Horizontal bore | Review the roof and support-removal route | A teardrop may reduce support demand, but it does not provide a finished circular fit. |
| Internal channel | Provide accessible powder evacuation paths | Diameter alone is insufficient: length, bends, branches, surface roughness and inspection access matter. |
| Lattice | Match struts and cells to cleaning and inspection | The smallest printable strut is not necessarily a reliable fatigue feature or a measurable production feature. |
| Machined interface | Identify final datums and tool access | Agree stock allowance with the manufacturing plan rather than adding the same allowance everywhere. |
Angle convention here is measured above the horizontal build plane. Confirm it on the drawing; an angle measured from vertical describes a different surface.
Heat treatment, plate removal and machining form one route. Their order and purpose depend on the alloy and the qualified process.
Required
Loose powder and attached supports are different problems. Internal passages need a verified evacuation route; support cuts need tool access and acceptable witness locations.
Confirm: powder cleanliness endpoint, support-cut access, trapped volumes, thin features and powder-handling requirements.
Condition
Stress relief, solution treatment, aging or HIP may appear in the route, but they serve different purposes and are not interchangeable defaults.
Confirm: sequence on/off plate, atmosphere, final condition, distortion allowance and the evidence required with delivery.
Texture
Mechanical finishing can remove loose scale, change texture or introduce compressive surface effects. It cannot reach every internal face equally.
Confirm: media, intensity/coverage where relevant, masking, material removal, fatigue-critical regions and roughness after treatment.
Interface
Machining creates datums and fits; polishing changes accessible roughness; passivation, anodizing or coatings depend on alloy and service.
Confirm: stock, workholding, edge break, coating build, corrosion exposure and inspection after the full route. Polymer-style dyeing is not a generic metal finish.
| Step | Design decision | Avoid assuming |
|---|---|---|
| Stress relief | Specify the alloy-specific procedure and release sequence | That every part receives the same on-plate treatment or springs by a predictable universal amount. |
| Support removal | Provide cutting access and acceptable witness locations | That a support inside a closed channel can be removed later. |
| Heat treatment | Name the final material condition and required evidence | That solution treating and aging is the right route for every titanium, stainless or nickel alloy. |
| HIP | Specify it when the design and qualification require it | That reducing internal porosity resolves surface defects or guarantees wrought-equivalent fatigue life. |
| Machining | Provide datums, workholding and local stock | That a narrow internal passage or deep lattice can be finished with a conventional cutter. |
| Final inspection | Match method and acceptance limits to the feature | That a generic scan or material certificate proves every dimension and internal defect limit. |
Use data for the actual machine, parameter set and heat treatment. A cast or wrought handbook value is not automatically the value of a printed component.
| Alloy | Useful application direction | Check |
|---|---|---|
| AlSi10Mg | Light structures and thermal components | Strength, ductility and conductivity change with treatment. Do not substitute a cast aluminum designation or generic T6 properties. |
| 316L | Ductile, corrosion-resistant geometry | Surface condition, fluid exposure and cleaning requirements; a grade name is not a food or medical certification. |
| 17-4 PH | High-strength tooling and structural candidates | Starting powder chemistry, phase state and qualified heat treatment; do not assume an H900 strength from the name alone. |
| Ti-6Al-4V | Lightweight and demanding load cases | Grade 5 versus Grade 23, fatigue-critical surfaces and the required inspection/qualification route. |
| Inconel 718 | High-temperature component candidates | Temperature, duration, stress and final treatment; a generic service-temperature figure does not qualify the design. |
| Tool steel / CoCr / copper alloys | Application-specific tooling or thermal designs | Availability and the complete validated process, including support and post-machining access. |
EOS explicitly connects properties to system, material and process. Its Ti64 data distinguishes heat-treated and HIP states; neither is a generic promise for another machine or geometry.
EOS product examples show why metal AM performance belongs to a qualified combination. The same alloy family can have different parameter sets, layer strategies and heat-treated or HIP conditions.
| Material family | Product examples | Selection direction | Performance evidence to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg | Light structural, thermal and integrated-channel candidates. | Name machine/process, build orientation and heat treatment; compare tensile, elongation, conductivity and fatigue in the required final surface state. |
| Stainless steel | EOS StainlessSteel 316L EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH | Corrosion-led geometry, tooling and strength-led precipitation-hardening candidates. | Keep powder chemistry, parameter set and treatment condition separate; corrosion and phase state require application-specific evidence. |
| Titanium | EOS Titanium Ti64 Grade 5 EOS Titanium Ti64 Grade 23 | Weight-sensitive and demanding structural or regulated candidates. | Distinguish grade, heat-treated/HIP state, orientation and surface. Datasheet biocompatibility language does not certify the finished device. |
| Nickel alloy | EOS NickelAlloy IN718 | High-temperature component candidates. | Use temperature, duration, stress, heat treatment and environment together; compare creep/fatigue evidence for the actual service case. |
| Specialty alloys | EOS MaragingSteel MS1 EOS CopperAlloy CuCrZr | Tooling, high-strength or thermal-management candidates. | Confirm printer/process availability, treatment, conductivity or hardness method, machinability and the inspection plan. |
These are manufacturer process examples, not a FabDigit availability statement. Confirm powder lot/grade, machine, parameter set, build orientation, final condition, finish and traceability with the quote.
Use the live library to connect alloy grades with manufacturer products and original sources. A material page does not establish the machine, parameter set, final condition or current availability for an order.
21 material grades 0 manufacturer products
Explore the indexed grade and product pages here. A quote confirms the material, machine, finish and sourcing available for a specific order.
A metal print is often a near-net component. Define which surfaces stay printed and which become machined functional interfaces.
Start with machining for accessible precise shapes. Consider additive for useful internal channels, lightweight geometry or consolidation, then compare the complete cost and inspection route. No process wins at every quantity.
It depends on alloy and process. EOS publishes 0.4 mm for one AlSi10Mg M 290 process at 30 µm layers; that does not establish a safe structural wall or the limit for another metal.
About 45° above the build plane is a common design review point, not a universal boundary. Alloy, geometry and process control change the limit. Specify the angle convention and access to remove any supports.
No general equivalence follows. HIP can reduce internal porosity, but fatigue and other properties also depend on microstructure, surface condition, orientation and loading. Use the qualified material and process data.
A combined print-and-machine route can create precise interfaces when the geometry permits workholding and cutter access. Agree the finished tolerances, datums and machining stock with the quote.
No. The application needs its own material/process specification, traceability, inspection and required qualification. A powder datasheet describes a material or tested process rather than certifying every finished design.
Send geometry, alloy, final condition, critical interfaces and inspection requirements so printing and post-processing can be evaluated together.
