Online 3D Printing Service | Selective Laser Melting (SLM) 3D Printing Service

Overview

Our SLM 3D Printing Service

What is SLM

SLM is Selective Laser Melting and it directly heats the metal powder through the laser, so that it is completely melted in the cooled and formed technology.

How Does SLM Work?

SLM equipment has a chamber filled with metal powder that is spread in very thin layers on a substrate or build plate by a coating blade. A high-powered laser then melts the 2D slice of the part by selectively melting the powdered material. Next, the build plate is lowered by one level, while the coating blade finely spreads a new layer of powder over the surface. Repeat the process until printing is complete.
The entire process takes place in a controlled atmosphere inside the machine. After the part is built, it can be removed from the machine. Removing the SLM parts from the build plate, this usually needs to be done with a band saw. Then you need to remove the supports. Since the support material is the same as the part material, this can be a difficult and time-consuming process. The surface finish of sintered parts is rough and may require some post-processing, but machine parts are also often able to achieve fine tolerances and finish fine features, both surface and porosity.

Features of SLM Technology

Advantages

Easy and fast

The prototype is directly made from the CAD digital model, the processing speed is fast, the product production cycle is short, and no cutting tools and molds are required.

Prototype with complex structures

It can process prototypes and molds with complex structures or shapes that are difficult to form using traditional means. Provide samples for experiments, and can verify and check the results of computer simulation calculations.

Remote control

It can be operated online and remotely controlled, which is conducive to the automation of production.

Drawbacks

Equipment cost

The cost of the SLM system and maintenance is high, and the SLM system is a precision device that operates on liquids and has strict requirements on the working environment.

Material defect

There are pores, and the mechanical properties are not as good as CNC machined metal parts.

Available materials for SLM 3D Printing

Here is a list of our standard 3D printing materials available through our online platform.

SLM 3D Printing Metals

Aluminum	Stainless steel	Titanium	Tool steel
Aluminum (AlSi10Mg)	Stainless steel 316L	Titanium TC4	Tool steel

Custom Material

The materials available on the online system may not be exhaustive of all materials available on the market. If the materials you need are not listed on the order page, please select "custom" under the material menu, and our engineers will review and purchase.

Our standard surface finishes

Spray painting - Matt paint

Spray painting: Using spray guns with air pressure to disperse into uniform and fine droplets and apply the painting to the surface of the object.

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Spray painting - High gloss paint

Spray painting: Using spray guns with air pressure to disperse into uniform and fine droplets and apply the painting to the surface of the object.

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Vacuum plating - High gloss paint

Vacuum plating mainly includes vacuum evaporation, sputtering and ion plating.

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Vacuum plating - Matt paint

Vacuum plating mainly includes vacuum evaporation, sputtering and ion plating.

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#1000 sanding

Sanding is the use of fine abrasive sand particles to rub the surface of the product to produce a diffuse, non-linear texture effect.

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Silkscreen

Silkscreen generally refers to screen printing, which is the process of pressing ink through a stencilled mesh screen to create a printed design, graphics and text.

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Laser engraving

Laser engraving is the use of laser technology to engrave text and pattern on objects.

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Dyeing

Dyeing is done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material.

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View more surface finishes

Our SLM 3D printing capability

Requirement	Specification
Maximum build size	300300300mm
Minimum wall thickness	1mm

Tolerances

Length(L)	Metric units
L≤100mm	±0.3mm
L>100mm	±0.3%*L

3D Printing Design Guidelines

We have summarized recommended and technically feasible values for the most common features encountered in 3D printed parts.

1. Wall thickness

The wall thickness directly determines the strength of the printed object, and also determines whether the model can be printed.
Once the model is printed, it also goes through support removal, grinding and sandblasting, which determine the minimum wall thickness for different materials. The model is printable only when the wall thickness meets the minimum requirement.

Process	5*5mm	10*10mm	50*50mm	100*100mm	200*200mm
SLA	0.5mm	0.8mm	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm
DLP	0.5mm	0.8mm	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm
SLS	0.8mm	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm	2.0mm
MJF	0.8mm	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm	2.0mm
SLM	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm	2.0mm	2.5mm
FDM	1mm	1.2mm	1.5mm	2.0mm	2.5mm

2. Embossed and engraved detail

As the height or depth of detail is less than the minimum detail requirements, it will not be able to print accurately, can not be polished, paint and other post-processing. It is recommended that you increase the height/depth, or remove the section.

Process	Min embossed detail	Min engraved detail
SLA	0.5mm	0.5mm
DLP	0.5mm	0.5mm
SLS	0.8mm	0.8mm
MJF	0.8mm	0.8mm
SLM	1mm	1mm
FDM	1mm	1mm

3. Threads and screws

Pitch refers to the axial distance between the corresponding points of two adjacent teeth on the thread. Profile angle refers to the angle between the two sides of the whorl profile. Your design needs to meet the requirements of minimum pitch:0.6mm and minimum profile angle:20°

4. Hole diameter

The following is the minimum diameter can be achieved.

Process	Min diameter
SLA	0.8mm
DLP	0.8mm
SLS	1.5mm
MJF	1.5mm
SLM	1.5mm
FDM	1.5mm

5. Sharp surfaces

When the wall thickness is very small, models with sharp surfaces can be easily damaged during support removal, grinding, packaging, and transportation. If sharp surfaces exist, the angle should be greater than 20 degrees.

6. Clearance

Parts clearance refers to the distance between any two parts, thin wall or column, as shown above. The min clearance is 1mm. When the clearance is small, it will not be able to remove the supporting material. It is recommended that you increase the clearance size or choose other materials required by the clearance. If the independence of the two parts is not important, it is recommended that you merge them into one part.

Assembly clearance refers to the distance between any two parts to be assembled, as shown above. The min clearance is 0.2mm.

FAQ's

What is the maximum build size for your SLM 3D printing?

Our SLM metal 3D printing supports a maximum build size of 300×300×300mm, suitable for manufacturing industrial-grade metal structural parts and functional prototypes of various medium sizes. For oversized metal components, we provide professional split printing and welding assembly solutions with strict strength testing.

What basic design notes should I follow for SLM files?

Please make sure your design files have no broken holes. Keep main wall thickness over 1.2 mm, and the thinnest part no less than 0.8 mm. Structures thinner than this will cause printing defects, cracking risks and difficulty in post-processing for metal parts.

What are the dimensional tolerances for SLM 3D printed metal parts?

Our SLM printing tolerances are strictly controlled for metal parts: for parts with length ≤100mm, tolerance is ±0.3mm; for parts longer than 100mm, tolerance is ±0.3% of the total length, meeting the precision requirements of most industrial metal part assembly.

What materials do you currently offer for SLM 3D printing?

We currently provide four standard metal materials for SLM printing, including Aluminum (AlSi10Mg), Stainless steel 316L, Titanium TC4 and Tool steel. All materials are industrial-grade for functional metal parts, and custom material options are available upon specific project requests after engineering review.

What surface finish and post-processing options do you provide for SLM parts?

For all SLM metal parts printed with our four standard materials, no extra surface finishing services are available at present. Our standard post-processing for SLM parts only includes professional metal powder cleaning, support removal (with band saw for build plate separation) and stress relief heat treatment to ensure structural stability and mechanical properties of metal parts.

What is the minimum wall thickness requirement for SLM printed metal parts?

The universal minimum printable wall thickness for SLM metal printing is 1mm. For small-sized parts (around 55mm), the wall thickness can be controlled at 1mm; for large parts close to 200200mm, wall thickness needs to be ≥2.5mm to ensure the structural strength and anti-deformation ability of metal parts.

What are the minimum embossed and engraved details SLM printing can achieve?

SLM metal printing can stably achieve minimum embossed and engraved details of 1mm. This precision can clearly restore metal part surface logos, text and fine structural features without incomplete forming caused by metal powder melting and sintering.

What are the design requirements for threads and screws in SLM printing?

For SLM printed metal threads to ensure smooth assembly and durable industrial use, the design needs to meet a minimum pitch of 0.6mm and a minimum profile angle of 20°. Standard metric fine and coarse threads can be stably formed on metal parts, with no sliding tooth issue during repeated screwing.

What is the minimum hole diameter and clearance requirement for SLM printed parts?

We can stably print holes with a minimum diameter of 1.5mm for SLM metal parts, with smooth inner walls and no residual metal powder. For part clearance, the minimum gap between independent metal structures (thin walls/columns) is 1mm for easy powder cleaning and support removal; we recommend a standard assembly clearance of 0.2mm for most metal part fitting needs, to ensure precise and smooth assembly without jamming.

What are the design requirements for sharp surfaces in SLM printing?

If the SLM printed metal part has sharp surface structures, the included angle should be designed to be greater than 20°. Sharp angles smaller than this are prone to chipping, cracking or damage during support removal, sandblasting, packaging and transportation, which will seriously affect the structural integrity and use safety of metal parts.