Metal 3D printing is a method of creating metal parts or products that adapts the general principles and methods of additive manufacturing methods and applies them to powdered metals. 3D printing always involves building a part using powder or filament wire, layer-by-layer, under computer control.
There are a number of ways to join together the successive layers of metal powder to form the final shape. They can be melted by a laser or electron beam, sprayed with a binding agent (binder jetting), or directly printed as molten droplets heated from metal filaments using Direct Energy Deposition (DED) or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) printers.
Other Metals You Can 3D Print
Metal 3D printing can be performed using a wide range of metal powders. These include, but are not limited to, steel, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, cobalt, tungsten, titanium, and nickel-based alloys. Precious metals like platinum, gold, palladium, and silver can also be used in 3D printing.
