LMD

Step 1

Printing

The LMD process works by heating up a local area upon on the workpiece, creating a melt pool. Metal powder is fed through a nozzle into this melt pool, which melts and combines with the base material, leaving a layer of 0.2-1mm thickness of material. The workpiece is transported or rotated in order to guide the melt pool along the workpiece, depositing material where needed. If required, additional layers are built up via the same process.

Step 2

Support Removal

Manual Removal Usually non-applicable, as parts are built onto a substrate without supports; overhangs are minimised in the design phase. Soluble Support Removal Non-applicable Manual Cleaning Note: Post-print excess material or dross may be manually cleaned off, especially around start/stop points or complex geometries.

Step 3

Surface Finishing

Sanding / Polishing / CNC Common for surface smoothing or achieving tight tolerances; required if surface finish must match machined standards. If required, the fabricated part may undergo additional CNC machining or milling producing accurate parts from a near net shape. Chemical Smoothing / Coating Possible with electropolishing, chemical etching, or protective coatings depending on application. Painting / Priming Often applied for corrosion resistance, colour-coding, or aesthetic finishes. Gloss / Matte Control Determined by post-processing method—polished surfaces can be mirror-like, while as-printed surfaces are rough.

Step 4

Curing / Heat Treatment

UV / Thermal Curing Non-applicable. Annealing / Stress Relief Critical to relieve residual stresses caused by rapid cooling; often conducted in a furnace or via post-build heat cycles.

Step 5

Assembly and Functional Finishing

Gluing or Bonding Rare; more commonly welding, brazing, or mechanical joining is used. Drilling / Tapping / CNC Widely used to meet tolerances, refine mating surfaces, and add threads or features in the post-build stage. Inserts / Fasteners Common in functional assemblies; threaded inserts or helicoils may be added after machining.

Step 6

Special Treatments

Infiltration / Sealing Non-applicable; parts are dense and metallurgically sound if properly processed. Functional Coatings Hard-facing, corrosion-resistant, thermal barrier, or wear-resistant coatings may be added depending on operating environment.