DMLS: DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) is a metal 3D printing process in which a laser melts thin layers of metal powder to build dense metal parts.
DMLS is EOS’s name for laser powder bed fusion of metal. Despite “sintering” in the name, current machines fully melt the powder, which is why the neutral term is LPBF. Common alloys include stainless steel, AlSi10Mg aluminium, Ti6Al4V titanium and nickel alloys such as Inconel 718.
What it means for the price
Metal printing is costly per part. The machines are expensive, they run under inert gas, and the laser has to scan the area of every layer. Post-processing is heavy: stress-relief heat treatment, cutting parts off the build plate by saw or wire EDM, removing supports, and often machining the faces that need a tolerance. In metal, support structures are needed not only under overhangs but to anchor the part and carry heat away, so they are larger and harder to remove than in plastics.
Example: a part that needs 6 hours of laser time and then 2 hours of support removal and machining is priced on both. The second line is the one easiest to forget. The figures are an example.
Common confusions
DMLS, SLM and LPBF are mostly names for the same process from different makers. Quotometry prices metal powder bed fusion today; by default every metal line goes to the shop’s review, a rule the shop can switch off. Read what metal 3D printing costs or see the metal 3D printing process page.
Go deeper: What drives the cost of metal 3D printing (DMLS and LPBF)