Direct Metal Laser Sintering Process

The chapter presents a comprehensive report of technological developments in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). The DMLS process is a powder bed fusion process capable of manufacturing three-dimensional complex metallic parts through the layer-by-layer deposition of metallic materials having a wide range of applications in different fields, such as medical, automotive, aerospace, and energy. The present chapter aims to provide an insight on the DMLS working principle, sintering mechanism, and process parameters (i.e., laser power, scan speed, layer thickness, etc.) that influence the quality of the built part. Also, a comprehensive discussion on process monitoring and control techniques, modeling, and optimization techniques has been presented. Further, an extensive argument is provided on the challenges faced in DMLS concerning various materials (titanium, aluminum, steel, etc.), the evolution of microstructure, and mechanical properties experimentally and numerically. The chapter concludes with a detailed discussion on various applications and future research directions.