Aluminum 3D Printing
3D printed aluminum, made possible using DMLS, offers one of the best strength-to-weight ratios of any metal. Combined with the design freedom of additive manufacturing, it enables part designs that aren’t possible with other manufacturing methods. Using DMLS, Fathom’s 3D printing metal service can help you print and finish complex, lightweight aluminum parts to meet your high-performance prototyping and low-volume production needs.
Why Choose Aluminum 3D Printing?
Good Mechanical Properties
Aluminum is lighter than other metals, while still providing excellent strength and hardness. It’s also very corrosion-resistant. Aluminum’s properties can be modified by applying different treatments, increasing ductility and conductivity. Treating aluminum can also improve its thermal and electrical conductivity.
Excellent Thermal Characteristics
Aluminum has very good thermal properties, which makes it a popular choice for heat sinks and other applications.
Design Flexibility
Like other 3D printing methods, printing aluminum parts enables engineers to design parts with internal channels, weight-saving lattice structures and other features that can’t be produced using any other manufacturing method. It’s also ideal for part consolidation – printing a multi-part assembly as a single unit. This approach can reduce manufacturing and assembly time and often results in a more efficient part.
Perfect for Prototyping
Using DMLS, aluminum parts can be 3D printed quickly without tooling. This makes it ideal for low-volume/high-mix scenarios such as prototyping and one-off customized parts.
Reduced Waste
Compared to CNC machining or casting aluminum, 3D printing this high-performance metal creates minimal waste. This is especially important to the aerospace industry, which measures the weight of purchased material to the final part weight to determine how much waste a manufacturing process creates.
Aluminum 3D Printing // Material Specifications
Fathom’s 3D printing metal service produces additive parts using aluminum AlSi10Mg. Here are the characteristics of this high-tech alloy:
AlSi10Mg is a typical casting alloy with good casting properties and is typically used for cast parts with thin walls and complex geometry. It offers good strength, hardness and dynamic properties and is therefore also used for parts subject to high loads. Parts made from AlSi10Mg are ideal for applications which require a combination of good thermal properties and low weight. They can be machined, spark-eroded, welded, micro shot-peened, polished and coated.
Conventionally cast components made from this type of aluminum alloy are often heat treated to improve their mechanical properties, for example using the T6 cycle of solution annealing, quenching and age hardening. In contrast, the laser-sintering process of DMLS is characterized by extremely rapid melting and re-solidification. This produces a metallurgy and corresponding mechanical properties in the as-built condition which is similar to T6 heat-treated cast parts. Therefore, such hardening heat treatments are not recommended for laser-sintered parts, but rather a stress relieving cycle of 2 hours at 300 °C (572 °F).
Technical Data
General Process and Geometrical Data
| Typical Achievable Part Accuracy [1] [2] | ± 100 µm |
| Smallest Wall Thickness [1] [3] | approx. 0.3 – 0.4 mm approx. 0.012 – 0.016 inch |
| Surface Roughness // As Built, Cleaned [1] [4] | Ra 6 – 10 µm, Rz 30 – 40 µm Ra 0.24 – 0.39 x 10-³ inch Rz 1.18 – 1.57 x 10-³ inc |
| Surface Roughness // After Micro Shot-Peening | Ra 7 – 10 µm, Rz 50 – 60 µm Ra 0.28 – 0.39 x 10-³ inch Rz 1.97 – 2.36 x 10-³ inch |
| Volume Rate [5] | 7.4 mm³/s (26.6 cm³/h) 1.6 in³/h |
[1] These properties were determined on an EOSINT M 270.
[2] Based on users’ experience of dimensional accuracy for typical geometries. Part accuracy is subject to appropriate data preparation and post-processing, in accordance with EOS training.
[3] Mechanical stability dependent on the geometry (wall height etc.) and application
[4] Due to the layerwise building, the surface structure depends strongly on the orientation of the surface, for example sloping and curved surfaces exhibit a stair-step effect. The values also depend on the measurement method used. The values quoted here given an indication of what can be expected for horizontal (up-facing) or vertical surfaces.
[5] The volume rate is a measure of the building speed during laser exposure. The overall building speed is dependent on the average volume rate, the time required for coating (depends on the number of layers) and other factors, e.g. DMLS settings
Physical and Chemical Properties of the Parts
| Material Composition | Al (balance) Si (9.0 – 11.0 wt-%) Fe (≤ 0.55 wt-%) Cu (≤ 0.05 wt-%) Mn (≤ 0.45 wt-%) Mg (0.2 – 0.45 wt-%) Ni (≤ 0.05 wt-%) Zn (≤ 0.10 wt-%) Pb (≤ 0.05 wt-%) Sn (≤ 0.05 wt-%) Ti (≤ 0.15 wt-%) |
| Relative Density | Approx. 99.85% |
| Density | 2.67 g/cm³ 0.096 lb/in³ |
Mechanical Properties of the Parts
| As Built | Heat Treated [9] | |
| Tensile Strength [6] | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | 460 ± 20 MPa 66.7 ± 2.9 ksi |
345 ± 10 MPA 50.0 ± 1.5 ksi |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | 460 ± 20 MPa 66.7 ± 2.9 ksi |
350 ± 10 MPa 50.8 ± 1.5 ksi |
| Yield Strength (Rp 0.2 %) [6] | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | 270 ± 10 MPa 39.2 ± 1.5 ksi |
230 ± 15 MPa 33.4 ± 2.2 ksi |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | 240 ± 10 MPa 34.8 ± 1.5 ksi |
230 ± 15 MPa 33.4 ± 2.2 ksi |
| Modulus of Elasticity | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | 75 ± 10 GPa 10.9 ± 0.7 Msi |
70 ± 10 GPa 10.2 ± 0.7 Msi |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | 70 ± 10 GPa 10.2 ± 0.7 Msi |
60 ± 10 GPa 8.7 ± 0.7 Msi |
| Elongation at Break [6] | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | (9 ± 2) % | 12 ± 2% |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | (6 ± 2) % | 11 ± 2% |
| Hardness [7] | approx.119 ± 5 HBW | |
| Fatigue Strength [1] [8] | ||
| – in vertical direction (Z) | approx. 97 ± 7 MPa approx. 14.1 ± 1.0 ksi |
[6] Mechanical strength tested as per ISO 6892-1:2009 (B) annex D, proportional specimens, specimen diameter 5 mm, original gauge length 25 mm (1 inch).
[7] Hardness test in accordance with Brinell (HBW 2.5/62.5) as per DIN EN ISO 6506-1. Note that measured hardness can vary significantly depending on how the specimen has been prepared.
[8] Fatigue test with test frequency of 50 Hz, R = -1, measurement stopped on reaching 5 million cycles without fracture.
[9] Stress relieve: anneal for 2 h at 300 °C (572 °F).
[10] These properties were determined on an EOSINT M 280-400W. Test parts from following machine type EOS M 290-400W correspond with these data.
Thermal Properties of Parts
| As Built [1] | Heat Treated [1] [9] | |
| Thermal Conductivity (at 20 °C) | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | approx. 103 ± 5 W/m°C | approx. 173 ± 10 W/m°C |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | approx. 119 ± 5 W/m°C | approx. 173 ± 10 W/m°C |
| Specific Heat Capacity | ||
| – in horizontal direction (XY) | approx. 920 ± 50 J/kg°C | approx. 890 ± 50 J/kg°C |
| – in vertical direction (Z) | approx. 910 ± 50 J/kg°C | approx. 890 ± 50 J/kg°C |
Why Choose Fathom for Aluminum 3D Printing?
Fathom has the expertise and technology to use aluminum 3D printing to produce parts to your specifications.
Fathom has numerous DMLS printers, making it one of the largest 3D printing metal services for DMLS – with deep DFAM and production expertise to match.
We also offer a wealth of post-processing capabilities under one roof – which can save you time and money.
Get a quote on your aluminum 3D printing project today!
