Materials

3D Printing makes Stainless Steel 3X Stronger!

When you think of 3D printing, naturally you think of plastics. However, there is a growing trend towards using metals as a 3D printing material. The visibility of 3D printing metal has grown further recently as HP have announced plans…

3d print stainless steel
3Dnatives

When you think of 3D printing, naturally you think of plastics. However, there is a growing trend towards using metals as a 3D printing material. The visibility of 3D printing metal has grown further recently as HP have announced plans to enter the 3D printing metal market next year, in addition to Markforged and Desktop Metal.

Stainless Steel

Usually, if you continue to harden steel you lose ductility. This can lead to substances deforming, and may break. However with selective laser sintering, a 3D printing technology, may offer a solution to this. The best 3D printing technology for metal is currently laser sintering. Laser sintering uses melted metal powder, fusing it to create intricate pieces. The problem however is that this struggles to print the microstructures necessary for truly resilient pieces.

3d print stainless steel

Metal 3D printed at Airbus

A Californian Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) research team proved metal products are significantly improved with 3D printing. In collaboration with engineers from the Ames National Laboratory, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Oregon State University, they managed to print a low-carbon 316L steel grade strong enough to be used in the military. This new method means 316L steel can be created with a standard printer, controlling heat and fusion to prevent the material becoming porous.