3D-printing with Aluminium
With selective laser melting of aluminium in record time to the functional prototype or to the fully resilient, finished component.
3D-printing with aluminium as a material is ideal when workpieces, tool inserts or components have to withstand high mechanical and dynamic loads. FKM works with the aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg. This alloy of 89.5% aluminium, 10% silicon and 0.5% magnesium is particularly suitable for pieces that need to be light but stable at the same time.
The layer thicknesses for 3D-printing with this aluminium are between 0.03 and 0.1 millimetres and the minimum wall thickness should not be less than 0.5 millimetres in order to ensure optimum break resistance and stability. A wide variety of post-processing options are possible, which are carried out either in-house or with specialised partners.
FKM Technical Brochure
- Construction Recommendations
- Finishing
- Machinery Pool
- Tendering
Advantages at a glance
- mechanically and dynamically resilient
- lightweight
- corrosion-resistant
- air- and watertight
Technical data
| yield strength Re | 170 – 220 N/mm² |
| tensile strength Rm | 310 – 325 N/mm² |
| elongation at break A | 2 – 3 % |
| modulus of elasticity | ca. 75 • 10³ N/mm² |
| thermal conductivity ʎ | 120 – 180 W/mK |
| coefficient of thermal expansion (at RT) | 20 • 10-6K-1 |
Applications and properties
The finished products have a tensile strength of 335 to 355 MPa, are air- and water-tight, corrosion resistant, lightweight, and melt-resistant up to 660.4 °C. This makes 3D-printing with aluminium in this alloy variant ideal for mechanical components in the aerospace industry, vehicles, bicycles, and similar applications. The construction of technical prototypes is also recommended with this material, as printing is fast thanks to the latest laser melting process (SLM) at FKM. Prototypes are therefore quickly available, which is particularly beneficial for projects during development. Fully functional and usable spare parts or series components can also be produced in FKM’s laser melting systems. The size of the components in 3D-printing with aluminium AlSi10Mg is a maximum of 800 x 400 x 500 millimetres.