3D Metal Printing Guide: How Metal Additive Manufacturing Works

Short answer: Metal 3D printing (additive manufacturing) builds dense parts layer by layer from metal powder or wire, enabling geometries machining cannot make, with the service in our Metal 3D Printing Supplier page and the powder feedstock in our AM Metal Powder Supplier page.

At a Glance

What Metal 3D Printing Does

Unlike subtractive machining, additive manufacturing adds material only where needed, cutting waste and unlocking internal channels and lightweight lattices, complementing the casting view in our Metal Casting Guide and the forging view in our Metal Forging Guide.

Main Processes

Powder-bed fusion (SLM/DMLS) gives fine detail, binder jetting is fast for batches, and wire DED builds large parts, with the laser detail in our SLM/DMLS Guide and the batch route in our Binder Jetting Guide.

Method	Feed	Note
Powder bed (SLM)	Powder	High detail
Binder jet	Powder and binder	Fast batches
Wire DED	Wire	Large parts

Materialen

Stainless, titanium, aluminum, tool steel and nickel alloys are common build materials, with the powder detail in our Metal Powder for AM Guide and the titanium route in our Titanium Supplier page.

When to Choose AM

Choose additive manufacturing for low volumes, high complexity or consolidation of assemblies, and compare with machining in our AM vs CNC Guide.

Quality and Inspection

Density, dimensions and surface finish are verified, with the method in our AM Quality Inspection Guide and the document detail in our Mill Test Certificate Guide.

Buyer Checklist

Confirm alloy, build volume and post-processing; plan quantity and timing with our MOQ and Lead Time Guide and price with our Price Quotation Guide.

Get a Quote

Tell HXSCO your requirements and we will respond with a competitive quote and lead time.

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