Discover the Creativity of the Future: Use 3D Printing to Bring Your Ideas to Life
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Shapeways offers AlSi10Mg for selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing. AlSi10Mg, a combination of silicon, magnesium, and aluminium, helps manufacturers create robust, highly functional prototypes and parts that improve performance and expedite product development.
Aluminium is a popular metal for parts that need to be corrosion resistant and have smaller walls within the geometry, which designers may find difficult to achieve in additive manufacturing—even though it may not be as strong as steel or titanium. AlSi10Mg suits items that need great strength and accuracy since it resists both high pressure and temperature.
Although this aluminium alloy contains trace amounts of iron, silicon gives AlSi10Mg strength above what pure metal can offer. The oxide layer that naturally forms on the material’s surface provides corrosion resistance. In addition to being skin-friendly, AlSi10Mg withstands heat up to 570°C/1058°F.
Additional material characteristics include:
Shapeways offers this metal only in a basic finish.
Shapeways enables users to 3D print strong metal pieces quickly and easily without tools using SLM technology. Aluminium alloys like AlSi10Mg provide the stiffness, precision, and high heat conductivity needed for functional parts and tools.
During a significant research project at the Fraunhofer Institute ILT in Germany in the mid-1990s, researchers developed SLM and other powder-bed fusion techniques. In this case, metal 3D printing with SLM uses a laser to fully melt each layer above the melting point rather than just reaching the minimal point where particles fuse. SLM, a subclass of laser powder-bed fusion technology, also includes 3D printing with thermoplastics.
Surfaces typically come out rougher and precision is reduced in similar technologies such as electron beam melting (EBM), which uses high temperatures in a vacuum atmosphere—even though heat may disperse more evenly.
Because laser bed fusion technology melts and fuses metal particles together, many people compare it to welding—often referring to it as “laser welding.”
Thomas Murphy, Senior Product Manager, Physical Products at Shapeways, explained why so many OEMs still use Metal-Laser Powder Bed Fusion for metal 3D printing today: “It is a mature technology that has been used in many end-use applications within Aerospace to Medical industries.”
Among the advantages SLM provides are:
Technicians convert CAD data into a 3D design, slice it, and prepare it for 3D printing. Aluminium is made by spreading metal powder across the build platform, which a laser then melts layer by layer to form the final structure.
Supports play a key role in preventing deformation from internal or residual stress during 3D printing, especially with complex features and overhangs. The number of supports needed to prevent warping or cracking during production may vary depending on how complicated the geometry is. This applies especially to larger metal components, which often require a far more advanced support structure.
After the parts have fully cooled, technicians use compressed air in post-processing to remove supports.
The ability to 3D print using newer materials, such as metal, opens up more options for innovation and manufacturing. By exploring aluminium’s potential to create sturdy, flexible structures with desirable features like thermal properties, designers and engineers can now build products that traditional methods couldn’t produce.
The fine metallic powder made from AlSi10Mg is ideal for SLM 3D printing in applications such as:
One of the biggest advantages of 3D printed aluminum is the ability to produce parts that weren’t previously feasible. For example, engineers can redesign turbine components in aerospace to enhance performance by integrating them into larger assemblies.
Automotive and railway companies benefit from aluminum 3D printing service to recreate obsolete parts and maintain spare inventories. Restoring vintage vehicles or old trains often requires parts no longer in production—but manufacturers can easily recreate them with a 3D scan. They can even make multiple iterations and improvements for the best possible fit.
Instead of letting parts collect dust on warehouse shelves, companies can store them as digital files and print them as needed—revolutionising how industries manage parts and inventory.
Understanding the technology behind metal 3D printing is essential. As market opportunities increase, a wider array of materials, hardware, and processes become available. Alongside SLM, 3D printing 7075 aluminum, binder jetting, fused deposition modelling, electron beam melting, and material jetting also contribute to the growing landscape.
In addition to traditional manufacturing support, Shapeways also offers product 3D animation service to help visualize and showcase designs before production.
While speed and cost-efficiency are among the most attractive benefits of 3D printing, companies must also consider initial investment costs. Metal 3D printers can be extremely expensive.
That’s where Shapeways stands out—other manufacturers don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on hardware to access professional metal additive manufacturing. They can outsource production and tap into advanced solutions without heavy capital investment.
Contact us to learn how our aluminum 3D printing solutions can support your next project from prototype to production.