Understanding Metal AM Powder: Sphericity, PSD, and Why It Matters
Metal powder is where part quality — and a large share of part cost — is decided before the laser ever fires. For laser powder bed fusion the workhorse spec is a…
Engineering
Metal 3D Printing for Humanoid Robots
Short answer: Metal 3D printing — laser powder bed fusion (LPBF/SLM) — is used today for the lightweight structural parts of humanoid robots: thighs, wrists, leg shells, finger joints and six-axis force…
Engineering
Buy-to-Fly Ratio: The Hidden Cost of Machining From Billet
A machined titanium aerospace part routinely buys 6–20 kg of billet to fly 1 kg — and large structural forgings run far worse. The same part grown by laser powder bed fusion…
Engineering
Zhuque-3 Rocket: Which Parts Are Metal 3D Printed?
Roughly 70% of the parts in the Tianque-12B engine that powers LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 are metal 3D printed — about 30% fewer components than an equivalently capable machined-and-welded design.[3][8] That is the highest…
Engineering
Post-Processing Is Half the Cost. Here’s Why.
On a typical laser powder bed fusion part, 30–50% of the final cost happens after the build ends. At single-piece volumes the share can approach two-thirds; at batches of ~50 it settles…
Engineering
316L vs 17-4PH: Choosing Stainless Steel for Metal AM
One variable decides it: will the part fail because of its environment, or because of its load? If corrosion kills the part, specify 316L. If stress kills the part, specify 17-4PH. Both…
Engineering
Metal 3D Printing vs CNC Machining Cost: Where’s the Crossover?
The crossover is earlier than most engineers expect: complex titanium or Inconel parts at 1–200 pieces usually win on total program cost with metal AM.
Engineering