Materials / Compare
Aluminum ADC12 vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Compare Aluminum ADC12 vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 149MPasourceone test result, 0.2% proof stress, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 345MPasourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Elongation at break | 2.3%sourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 79.8GPasourcestandard value (S.S.Aluminum) | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) |
| Density | 2,680kg/m³sourcemeasured (Daiki) | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine |
| Strength to weight | 55.6kN·m/kg | 67.1kN·m/kg21% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 29.8MN·m/kg27% higher | 23.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 71.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 154GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,457m/s | 4,839m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 125W/m·Ksourcemeasured on specimens cut from a 50 x 100 x 5 mm flat die casting (Daiki) | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 21µm/m·Ksourcemeasured, temperature range not stated (Daiki) | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 105µm growth | 78.6µm growth34% less |
| Specific heat | 911J/kg·Ksourcemeasured (Daiki) | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 51.2mm²/s12.5x faster | 4.1mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 2,067W/m |
| Melting point | 515–582°Csourcesolidus-liquidus (Daiki) | not sourced |
| Values for | JIS ADC12 (Al-Si-Cu, about A383 / EN AC-46100) high-pressure die-casting alloy, as cast; physical properties from Daiki Aluminium Industry (ADC12 ingot producer) measured values; modulus from S.S.Aluminum (ADC12 ingot producer) standard values. | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Aluminum ADC12 stronger than DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 149 MPa for Aluminum ADC12 (3.56x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum ADC12 or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Aluminum ADC12 is lighter: 2,680 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum ADC12 or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 79.8 GPa for Aluminum ADC12, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum ADC12 or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum ADC12 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Aluminum ADC12 | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 27% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.94x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.23x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 21% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 27% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Aluminum ADC12 or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Aluminum ADC12 conducts heat better: 125 W/m·K against 16.2 W/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel expands less: 15.7 µm/m·K against 21 µm/m·K for Aluminum ADC12.