Use Tapered Walls to Improve Powder Removal Depowdering is a critical post-processing step in metal additive manufacturing, especially for parts with internal cavities. However, trapped powder in vertical walls or blind holes can complicate the... Nov 18, 2025
Preheat to Print Better: Improve Flow, Minimize Defects Preheating metal powders before printing is a simple yet powerful technique to improve print quality. By warming the powder bed or the material itself before the printing process begins, manufacturers... Nov 11, 2025
Mind the Recoater: Clearance for Tall Parts In metal additive manufacturing, one overlooked design mistake can lead to costly print failures: forgetting to account for recoater clearance. The recoater blade spreads each new layer of powder, and... Nov 11, 2025
From Machined to Printed Manifold: Reducing Assembly Steps Redesigning a traditionally machined manifold into a single 3D-printed part unlocks a range of benefits for manufacturers. Instead of fabricating multiple components and welding or bolting them togeth... Nov 11, 2025
Are DMLS and SLM Really the Same? Understanding the Differences While DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) and SLM (Selective Laser Melting) are often used interchangeably in conversation, they are not identical in practice. These two metal 3D printing technologies... Nov 4, 2025
Why Inert Gas Flow is a Game-Changer in Powder Bed Fusion In powder bed fusion (PBF) processes, inert gas flow plays a vital role far beyond just clearing smoke, it directly influences the consistency, quality, and reliability of your metal prints. Typically... Nov 4, 2025
Why Flat Bases Matter in Metal 3D Printing A solid, flat base is one of the simplest yet most impactful design decisions you can make when preparing a part for metal 3D printing. This seemingly small adjustment can drastically improve print su... Nov 4, 2025
Keep Wall Thickness Consistent: Avoiding Stress Concentration Structural integrity in load-bearing parts is heavily influenced by wall thickness uniformity. Inconsistent wall thickness in critical zones can cause stress concentrations, which in turn lead to crac... Oct 23, 2025
Conformal Cooling: Elevating Mold Tooling with Smarter Channels Conformal cooling is revolutionizing the way we approach mold tooling design. Unlike traditional straight-line cooling systems, conformal cooling follows the complex geometry of the mold cavity. This ... Oct 23, 2025
Don’t Trap Powder: The Importance of Escape Holes In metal additive manufacturing, enclosed cavities can pose a significant challenge if not carefully designed. One of the most overlooked but critical aspects is powder removal. When cavities are clos... Oct 22, 2025
Lightweight Strength: The Power of Lattice Structures in Metal AM In metal additive manufacturing, weight and strength often stand on opposite ends of a design trade-off. But with lattice structures, engineers can achieve the best of both worlds. By replacing solid ... Oct 21, 2025
Achieving 99.9% Density in SLM: More Than Just a Number When engineers hear “3D printing,” many still think of prototypes, plastic models, or lightweight parts with limited functionality. But metal additive manufacturing, particularly Selective Laser Melti... Oct 21, 2025