Why DMLS Copper Matters: Breaking Traditional Manufacturing Barriers

Copper's exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity makes it indispensable for aerospace, electronics, and EV industries. However, traditional machining and casting struggle with copper due to:

l Geometric Limitations: Can't produce intricate internal channels (e.g., 0.5mm micro-fluidic networks) or lattice structures.

l Material Waste: Subtractive methods waste up to 70% of raw copper.

l Performance Trade-offs: Cast copper parts often have porosity (≥2%), reducing conductivity by 15-20%.

DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) copper revolutionizes this by enabling additive manufacturing of copper parts with unmatched precision, complexity, and material integrity.

DMLS Copper's Technical Breakthroughs

DMLS technology addresses copper's challenges (high laser reflectivity, thermal distortion) through three core advantages:

1. Ultra-Precision Geometry Control

DMLS builds copper parts layer by layer (20-50μm layer thickness), allowing:

l Intricate Internal Structures: 0.3mm-diameter cooling channels, conformal lattice structures, and multi-functional integrated designs (e.g., a copper heat sink with embedded sensors).

l Tight Tolerances: ±0.05mm dimensional accuracy, critical for aerospace connectors and high-frequency coils.

2. Superior Material Properties

By sintering 99.95% pure copper powder with controlled laser energy:

l Density: ≥99.96% (near-forged copper), ensuring 98% IACS conductivity (vs. 85% for cast copper).

l Mechanical Strength: 220MPa tensile strength (vs. 190MPa for cast copper), enabling thinner walls (down to 0.5mm) without deformation.

3. Cost-Effective Complexity

DMLS eliminates tooling costs for custom copper parts, reducing lead times from 8-12 weeks (traditional) to 7-10 days for prototypes. Small-batch production (10-1000 units) is 30-50% cheaper than CNC machining for complex designs.

Xiaojiao's DMLS Copper Solutions: Overcoming Copper's Additive Challenges

Copper's high laser reflectivity (≥90% for IR lasers) and thermal sensitivity make DMLS notoriously difficult. Xiaojiao solves this with:

1. Patented Green Laser Technology

Our 515-560nm green lasers achieve 40-60% absorption in copper (vs. 5-10% for IR lasers), ensuring:

l Consistent sintering of 0.1mm-thin walls and 0.3mm micro-channels.

l Minimal thermal distortion (warpage <0.1mm for 100mm parts).

2. Optimized Process Parameters

Through 500+ copper DMLS trials, we’ve mastered:

l Powder Management: Customized recoating systems to handle fine copper powder (15-45μm particle size).