The term Additive Manufacturing refers to several 3D printing processes and technologies which have in common the creation of three-dimensional objects by the addition of materials layer-by-layer.
3D printing made possible obtaining an object from a digital 3D model, also allowing the use of complex geometries, many of which were in many cases impossible to get by traditional methods.
Categories of Additive Manufacturing Technologies
Photopolymerization
- SLA – Stereolithography Systems
- DLP – Digital Light Processing
- 3SP – Scanning, rotating, and selective curing
- CLIP – Continuous Liquid Interface Production
Powder Bed Fusion
- SLS –Selective Laser Sintering
- DMLS –Direct Metal Laser Sintering
- EBM–Electron Beam Melting
- SHS –Selective Heat Sintering
- MJF – Multi Jet Fusion
Binder Injection – Binder Jetting
Material Injection – Material Jetting
Lamination in Sheets
- LOM – Laminated Object Manufacturing
- SDL–Selective Deposition Lamination
- UAM–Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing
Material Extrusion
- FFF –Fused Filament Fabrication
- FDM –Fused Deposition Modeling
Direct Energy Deposition – DED
- LMD – Laser Metal Deposition
- LENS – Laser Engineered Net Shaping
- DMD –Direct Metal Deposition
Hybrid
Combination of additive and subtractive technologies
What makes Meltio’s LMD so Distinctive?
LMD stands for Laser Metal Deposition. This manufacturing method technically falls under the DED family, but it has its own peculiarities.
In fact, LMD is a cutting-edge technology with features that significantly improve traditional DED.
LMD is not just limited to repairs or the recovery of worn-down parts by adding layers. It also improves the surface finish quality, making it possible to obtain final parts from scratch, with a neat finish, in such a way that in many cases post processing is not necessary.
This technology can be used to create parts from scratch, rapid prototyping, part repair, or creation of final parts in any type of industry that uses metal parts, without size limitations, while maintaining an extremely low final part price.
A differentiating element of this technology when compared to traditional DED technology is the format of the printing material, which in the case of LMD can be in the form of powder and/or wire.
Meltio’s metal 3D printer works both with metallic wire and powder. It can print in either format of material separately but also simultaneously.
Meltio’s LMD technology is also capable of changing print material during the printing process, which allows multi-material prints without making any stops and without the need to change the head or nozzle.
The range of possibilities offered by this technological breakthrough is incredible.
Read our full 19-page PDF report and learn which are the pros and cons of each addtive manufacturing technology, and how Meltio’s LMD compares with each one. Download the 3D Printing Technologies Comparison whitepaper now!
