Acknowledging and Appreciating the Yin and Yang of Metal Manufacturing

Nothing illustrates the importance of this relationship more clearly than in the relationship that exists between CNC machining and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), which is the leading technology for 3D printing complex metal parts. The latter can create virtually any part shape with nothing more than a laser beam and a pile of metal powder, but it is a time-consuming process that can take several hours. Machining, on the other hand, is more restricted in terms of geometry, but it produces parts at a significantly faster rate. The decision on which material to use is primarily driven by two considerations: A) whether the part or parts can be machined; and B) how many parts are required.

• In many instances, the two manufacturing processes can be used in conjunction with one another

• What are some examples

• Metal-based additive manufacturing is frequently reliant on its subtractive counterpart to complete the task at hand

• Holes must be bored or reamed, threads must be tapped or thread-milled, critical surfaces must be milled, turned, or ground to size, and other tasks must be completed

• 3D-printed parts require manual TLC in the form of cleaning, blasting, and support removal at the very least

• This almost always results in a trip to the machine shop, which is almost always a given

   

Building Metal CNC drilling parts versus Cutting Metal Parts

According to the information provided at the outset of this design tip, it is critical to have a firm grasp on the processes that are used to create them. We realize that many engineers are already aware of this, so please bear with us for the next few paragraphs.

DMLS is the only additive manufacturing technology used at junying that prints metal. It is one of five additive manufacturing technologies used at junying (which account for the lion's share of all 3D printing processes used worldwide). Using a laser (or a series of lasers) to fuse flour-sized grains of metal powder within the build chamber of the machine, it works in the same way as any other powder bed printing process. Initially working from the bottom up, the machine fuses one paper-thin workpiece layer at a time with a recoater blade dragging fresh powder across the top of the workpiece after each pass until the part is finished.

Considerations for Metal injection molding Regarding Accuracy

Despite the fact that DMLS can create extremely complex shapes that would otherwise be impossible to manufacture, it is not without its drawbacks. For starters, significant heating and cooling of the metal occurs as the laser performs its work, resulting in internal stresses that must be removed through heat-treating after the part has been assembled. Except for the fact that stress relief equates to a certain amount of part movement and, consequently, a certain amount of accuracy loss, this means little to the people who are designing the part. Although not the only reason, even a well-designed DMLS-produced part will require machining of any part feature where tolerances tighter than 0.003 in. (0.076mm) are required, plus 0.001 in./in. (0.001 mm/mm) for each additional inch of build height, even if the part was designed well.

When designing a metal part, it is critical to take the accuracy of the metal part into consideration.

It does not negate the fact that DMLS can be used to create extremely complex shapes that would otherwise be impossible to manufacture, but it does not take away from the fact that there are some disadvantages to using this technology as well. From the heating and cooling of metal that occurs during laser work, internal stresses are created that must be removed through heat treatment after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more after the part has been assembled and cooled once more afterIt is of little consequence to those who are designing the part that stress relief necessitates some degree of part movement and, as a result, some degree of accuracy loss, because they are more concerned with the function of the component than with the appearance of the component. It is possible that this information will be detrimental to those who are responsible for designing the component.

It doesn't matter how well-designed the part is; machining will always be required for any feature that requires tolerances tighter than 0.003 in. (0.076mm) and for each additional inch of build height greater than 0.001 in./in. (0.000011 mm/1mm). Despite the fact that the component was well-designed to begin with, this is still the case.