Mastering Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS): Innovation, History, and Industrial Impact

When was DMLS Technology Invented?

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology was invented in 1995 when a German company called EOS (Electro Optical Systems) first commercialized it. EOS owns the DMLS trademark.

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is used for the serial manufacture of complex industrial metal components that cannot be made economically - or at all - with other metal manufacturing technologies, such as CNC machining or metal injection molding. When parts are manufactured using traditional subtractive processes, they often need to be assembled from multiple components. However, DMLS 3D printing can create a monolithic part that eliminates the inherent weaknesses and complexities of assembled parts. DMLS printing is most often used in the aerospace, medical, turbomachinery, and automotive industries.

How Does DMLS 3D Printing Work?

Now that you get the gist, we’re going to get more into the nitty gritty of the DMLS process. The start of the process involves the fiber laser beam, which can have up to 1,000 W of power. It begins scanning the cross-section of a part layer and starts melting the powder particles together.

While there is often one laser beam, some machines have the capacity to shoot out four beams at a time, which quadruples how quickly the process moves along. Usually, a DMLS printer will scan and laser at a speed of around 7 m/s.

Once the first layer is finished, the bed moves down, and another layer of metal powder is put down. Then, the system will fill the printing chamber with an inert gas to prevent the part from oxidizing during the rest of the printing process. After this takes place, the melting of the next layer occurs until the part is complete.

The quality and accuracy of the print comes down to how good the laser and optical components of the printer are. Normally the focal point is between 40 to 100 microns in diameter—which means the smallest feature you can get is 40 microns.

In the picture below, you can get a good idea of how a DMLS printer looks and what components are featured.

Kat de Naoum

Kat de Naoum is a writer, author, editor, and content specialist from the UK with 20+ years of writing experience. Kat has experience writing for a variety of manufacturing and technical organizations and loves the world of engineering. Alongside writing, Kat was a paralegal for almost 10 years, seven of which were in ship finance. She has written for many publications, both print and online. Kat has a BA in English literature and philosophy, and an MA in creative writing from Kingston University.