METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PREPRESS
DMLS & SLM Metal Additive Support Generation & Vector Guide
Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) fuse fine metal powders into dense industrial aerospace and medical components. Sacrificial support structures are critical to anchor overhangs and conduct extreme laser melt pool heat away to the build plate.
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1. Thermal Heat Dissipation & Melt Pool Anchoring
Because loose metal powder has only ~1% the thermal conductivity of solid metal, unsupported downskin exposures overheat, creating large dross beads and severe thermal curl. Support lattices conduct heat directly to the substrate plate while resisting recoater blade shear forces.
2. Engineering Specifications & Tolerances
| Additive Alloy | Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) | Critical Angle (θ_crit) | Breakaway Tooth ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 | 6.7 W/m-K | 42° from horizontal | 0.40 – 0.45 mm |
| Inconel 718 Nickel | 11.4 W/m-K | 45° from horizontal | 0.45 – 0.55 mm |
| AlSi10Mg Aluminum | 130 W/m-K | 38° from horizontal | 0.35 – 0.40 mm |
| 316L Stainless Steel | 16.3 W/m-K | 45° from horizontal | 0.40 – 0.50 mm |
3. Laser Hatch Vector Strategy & Post-Machining DXF
- Alternating Scan Vectors: Rotate support laser scan vectors by 67° or 90° between consecutive layers to homogenize residual hoop stresses.
- Breakaway Perforation Line: Model a 0.2mm notch radius at the component-support interface to ensure crisp manual chisel breakaway with minimal hand polishing.
- Wire EDM Clearance Plane: Include a 3.0mm solid support standoff skirt above the baseplate in 1:1 DXF to allow wire EDM cut-off blade passage.
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