Heat Treatment in 3D Printing: All You Need to Know

Post-processing is a key stage in additive manufacturing. Indeed, there are a number of different methods used in the industry, which differ depending on the 3D technology used: depowdering, removal of supports and coloring, among others. Now it’s time to explore yet another post-processing method in additive manufacturing: the heat treatment of 3D printed parts.

This can take several forms, depending on the desired results, the material used and the preferred technology. These include sintering, annealing for metals, curing and hot isostatic pressing. This type of post-processing has a clear goal: reducing the internal stresses of a 3D-printed part and improve its mechanical properties. Depending on the technique chosen, different results will of course be obtained, but the aim is to influence the residual stresses that may arise during printing.

A range of equipment is available for heat treatment in additive manufacturing (photo credits: Markforged)

In additive manufacturing, the parts produced are subjected to different temperatures and undergo heating and cooling phases of varying degrees, depending on the printing process chosen. These phases have a direct impact on the parts, which accumulate residual stresses. Heat treatment after printing is therefore crucial, not only to eliminate these residual stresses, but also to influence the mechanical characteristics of the parts, such as bending strength, ductility and final hardness. We took a closer look at the different heat treatment methods used and what they do.