SLM in Ti-6Al-4V

When to choose SLM / DMLS

• Internal conformal channels or lattices that cannot be drilled or milled from outside
• Topology-optimized brackets where as-built surfaces are acceptable or locally machined later
• Consolidating multi-piece weldments into one printed body
• Short-run metal parts where tooling for casting is not justified
• When material options in the SLM catalog (e.g. AlSi10Mg, Ti64, SS) match the drawing

Setup and fixturing

• Orient for minimal support on critical faces; put show surfaces upward or accessible for cut-off
• Anchor to the build plate with support trees sized for thermal stress in the alloy
• Plan powder escape holes for cavities before slicing — sealed voids trap powder
• After build: wire-EDM or saw cut from plate, then support removal benches
• Optional CNC datum skim after heat treat when mating faces need mill flatness

Typical operations

• Layer-wise laser melting with recoater passes across the powder bed
• Support generation and downskin management in the slicer
• Powder reclaim, part cut-off, and mechanical/chemical support removal
• Stress-relief or solution heat treatment per alloy spec (HIP = manual path)
• Local CNC machining of datums, threads, or sealing faces as a hybrid finish

DFM watch-outs

• Thin walls under the SLM risk threshold may not fully consolidate — thicken or reorient
• Overhangs beyond ~45° from +Z need supports; budget removal time and surface scars
• Trapped powder in closed lattices blocks reclaim — add escape ports
• BBox beyond plate limits forces manual quote
• As-built roughness is higher than milled; call out post-machine where seals matter
• Residual stress can warp thin spans — use ribs or heat treat before releasing from plate

Capability

SLM / DMLS builds are additive: a laser selectively melts each powder layer according to sliced contours. Design freedom is the point — organic load paths, conformal cooling, and part consolidation — at the cost of powder handling, supports, and thermal post-processing. Dimensional expectation differs from CNC: tolerances follow the SLM enrich defaults and rates factors, not milled ISO feel, and critical fits usually get a machining stock allowance. Build orientation dominates success; the same CAD file can be easy or impossible depending on tilt and support strategy.

Rates list SLM hourly separately from CNC cells. Support removal and heat-treat batch fees apply from rates; HIP remains manual. Hub price bands come from Batch1 enrich leaves for SLM materials and will not match CNC Al6061 mids — that divergence is real. Keep DFM copy focused on powder, supports, and orientation so SLM hubs never shingle-match CNC process pages.

Rates record SLM at 45/h plus support-removal and heat-treat fees from rates.v1.1. Use those figures on capability cards. SLM mid bands come from SLM leaves — do not paste CNC Al6061 tables onto SLM hubs.

DFM lines for SLM / DMLS

• SLM thin-wall proxy under 0.8 mm (same threshold family as CNC) risks incomplete melt tracks and warp — thicken or orient flat to plate.
• Overhang watch when faces beyond 45° from +Z exceed ~25% of area — expect support and removal cost (SEO SAMPLE_GEOM has no mesh normals → no auto overhang flag).
• Support removal minimum from rates ($15/part); heat-treat batch $40; HIP stays manual quote.
• Sorted bbox beyond SLM plate [250,250,300] mm forces manual quote (auto_manual_quote_if).
• Internal lattices and trapped powder volumes need escape holes ≥ design practice; sealed cavities block powder reclaim.

Titanium Ti-6Al-4V

Ti-6Al-4V is the high strength-to-weight titanium workhorse for aerospace-adjacent and performance structures in Batch1. It machines with low thermal conductivity — heat stays in the tool — so low speeds, high feed per tooth discipline, and rigid setups are mandatory. This hub must sound like titanium, not like 6061 soft milling.

Frame density advantage vs steels, galling risk, and enrich-compatible finishes (often bead blast / as-machined; anodize-for-titanium only if enrich says so — do not paste aluminum Type II language). No fake flight-cert logos.

Sharp tools, never rub, flood or through-coolant, avoid dwelling. Trochoidal strategies help. Turning titanium needs correct insert grades and controlled DOC. Secure workholding — titanium springback and deflection bite thin walls.

Titanium SAMPLE_GEOM mids sit well above aluminum floors in enrich — publish leaf bands only; industry hubs will show the wide mix span separately.

Ti64 also exists as SLM powder — on SLM hubs use powder-bed overlay tone; on CNC hubs keep subtractive titanium notes.

This alloy hub

Finish compatibility on this hub is framed for a single alloy family: list only finishes that enrich marks compatible with this material_slug. Do not present a cross-material finish menu here — that belongs on industry hubs that span alloys.

Open the properties block with this material’s density, typical temper/condition (when known from catalog), and machining character. The table is alloy-centric: one row set, not a comparison across all Batch1 metals and polymers.

Price band on a process×material hub is the SAMPLE_GEOM band for this one material (often qty1/10 sit on the min-order floor). Say “for this alloy on the sample geometry,” never “across aerospace-to-medical mixes.” Child industries share the same mid until industry is wired into comboQuote.

On SLM material hubs, stay on powder, supports, and heat-treat for this catalog alloy — no industry chrome dump.

Public price range

Aggregated from Batch1 child leaves for this hub (4 pages). USD, rates v1.1, public ±12% on the 50×50×20 mm sample. Compare qty 10 $4167.57 ($3667.46–$4667.67).

Titanium SAMPLE_GEOM mids sit well above aluminum floors in enrich — publish leaf bands only; industry hubs will show the wide mix span separately. Price band on a process×material hub is the SAMPLE_GEOM band for this one material (often qty1/10 sit on the min-order floor). Say “for this alloy on the sample geometry,” never “across aerospace-to-medical mixes.” Child industries share the same mid until industry is wired into comboQuote. Some child leaves are mixed, so a band uses only children that published a number. Not a confirmed order price.

Process comparison

Qty 10 public mid is the median of process×material hub mids, with the span of those mids in parentheses. Tolerance labels and finish names come from the hubs-enrich pack. The machine-rate column is the rates card, not a part price.

Material data

Contract fields from the material endpoint. A missing number is unknown, not an estimate.

Finishes

Finishes for Ti-6Al-4V from rates v1.1 only — USD/part adders, not a full quote. Filtered per material compatibility.

• For Ti-6Al-4V, Bead Blast (bead_blast) adds $5 USD per part with no batch minimum in rates from rates v1.1 finishes_usd_per_part.
• For Ti-6Al-4V, Powder Coat (powder_coat) adds $12 USD per part with no batch minimum in rates from rates v1.1 finishes_usd_per_part.
• For Ti-6Al-4V, Polish (polish) adds $15 USD per part with no batch minimum in rates from rates v1.1 finishes_usd_per_part.
• For Ti-6Al-4V, Nickel/Zinc Plate (nickel_or_zinc_plate) adds $10 USD per part with batch minimum $50 from rates v1.1 finishes_usd_per_part.

Questions