Quote:
Originally Posted by island911
I'll add that the tech induces internal stresses, due to the generally high thermal gradients during the fusing process.
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That sounds like something a good heat treating regimen could easily resolve...but I come from the caveman school of metallurgy where we beat on hot steel with a hammer.
The most intriguing application of DMLS that I've seen is in firearm sound suppressor fabrication. The internal baffle structures can be made MUCH more efficient than the typical "k-baffle" and "monocore" designs that most manufacturers use. If these things weren't so damned expensive (not to mention the hoops you have to jump through to own one) I'd buy one just so I could saw it in half and see what the guts look like.
http://deltapdesign.com/