Direct Metal Laser Sintering, also known as Selective Laser Melting, is a powder-based, additive manufacturing process. Like SLS & SLA, the process builds in layers; however the build layer thickness in DMLS is built at either 20 or 40 microns. Also, unlike SLS, support structure is required to build DMLS parts since the weight of the parts in its sintered state is heavy. An absence of support structure in the appropriate areas will cause parts to severely warp.

In the process, a 200 Watt Yb laser traces (essentially welds) the geometry in the X and Y axes from the data in an .stl file. The build tray platform then descends vertically, allowing the Z axis to be built. Before any of the part geometry is sintered, support structure is built to the tray and then the bottom of the part before building the part from the bottom up. Once a layer is completely built, a roller then evenly adds a new 20-micron thin layer of powder over the top of the previously cured part. The process is then repeated until the part is complete.

The build tray is 9.85” x 9.85” x 8”, however parts taller than roughly seven inches may require the machine to be paused while new material is added. This may result in a faint-looking notch in the part.