Aluminum 3D Printing Service
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About Aluminum Metal 3D Printing
Aluminum metal 3D printing is mainly used in weight-sensitive areas, such as aerospace and automotive, thanks to aluminum’s excellent strength-to-weight ratio. 3D printing can take advantage of the lightweight advantages of aluminum, such as printing internal hollow or grid structures, combining multiple parts to reduce complexity and weight.
In short,3D printing can greatly reduce the number of parts, printing the internal complex geometry to achieve lightweight. This makes aluminum 3D printing ideal for weight-sensitive applications such as aerospace and automotive, both guaranteeing strength and achieving light weight.
3D Printing on Aluminum at a Glance
| Application | Gearboxes, brackets, enclosures |
| Advantages | Thin-walled parts, excellent corrosion resistance, high strength |
| Disadvantages | The porosity gives it a lower density than solid aluminum |
| Lead Time | 3 days |
| Price | $$ |
| Minimum Feature Size | Typically 0.016” - 0.020” (0.4 mm - 0.5 mm ) |
| Layer Height | 0.0012” - 0.0016" (0.0305 mm - 0.04064 mm) |
| General Tolerances | 0.005” (0.127 mm) is possible for the first inch of height. For every inch thereafter, an additional 0.002” (0.0508 mm) is added to the tolerance. |
| Max Part Size | 10” x 10” x 10” (254 mm x 254 mm x 254 mm) |
EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg
AlSi10Mg is an aluminum-silicon magnesium alloy that is widely used in casting and aluminum metal 3D printing. It offers excellent thermal stability and corrosion resistance, making it ideal for applications such as high-load gearboxes, housings and brackets. The performance of AlSi10Mg 3D printed parts is comparable to that of T6 heat treated parts, and generally no further heat treatment is required, but stress relief can be performed to reduce anisotropy.
EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg Properties
| Tensile Strength, Yield (MPa) | Fatigue Strength (MPa) | Elongation at Break (%) | Hardness (Brinell) | Density (g/cm^3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 460 ±10 | 97 ± 7 | 9 ± 2 | 119 ± 5 | 2.67 |
Finishes
3D printed aluminum parts have a lower density than cast aluminum, but can undergo similar post-processing processing.
Standard post-treatment includes the removal of the support structure during printing, as well as sandblasting of the part to obtain an even, flat surface and appearance.
In addition, according to actual needs, parts can also be precision machined or polished through CNC machining technology to generate a specific surface shape or structure. For example, it can CNC milling out high-precision mechanical interfaces such as threaded holes and slide rails; Or through CNC polishing to obtain a specific gloss.
Cost-saving Design Tips
To reduce the cost of 3D printing aluminum alloy, consider the following tips:
- The design follows the DFM principle to ensure that the internal closed area reserves enough powder discharge holes to facilitate the cleaning of unmelted powder.
- Consider the support structure when designing,DMLS printing usually requires a support body to avoid warping.
- Optimize the design, give full play to the advantages of 3D printing lightweight, rational use of materials, reduce waste.
- Evaluate post-processing needs to avoid unnecessary processing.