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DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes

Compare DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

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DMLS 316L Stainless Steel3D printed metal (DMLS)

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planesComposite

Mechanical
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Yield strength	530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal	246–385MPasourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039)
Elongation at break	40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal	not sourced
Young's modulus (stiffness)	185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet)	21.9–25.8GPasourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2); the copper planes are left out
Density	7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine	not sourced
Strength to weight	67.1kN·m/kg	not sourced
Stiffness to weight	23.4MN·m/kg	not sourced
Poisson's ratio	0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value	0.171–0.177sourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction
Shear modulus	71.2GPa7x stiffer in shear	10.2GPa
Bulk modulus	154GPa	12.2GPa
Speed of sound	4,839m/s	not sourced
Thermal
Thermal conductivity	16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C	not sourced
Thermal expansion	15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228	13–14µm/m·Ksourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C)
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	78.6µm growth	67.5µm growth16% less
Specific heat	500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C	not sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	4.1mm²/s	not sourced
Thermal shock resistance	2,067W/m	not sourced
Values for	EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1	A whole circuit board read as one orthotropic plate: the JEDEC high-K thermal test board (JESD51-7, "2s2p"), 0.062 in (1.575 mm) thick with two internal solid copper planes 0.0014 in (1 oz) thick, as Texas Instruments SZZA017A Table 1 gives it. Copper C110 and the Isola 370HR laminate from this library; the layers conduct in parallel along the board and in series through it (boardStackup.ts). Its two 0.0028 in trace layers cover little of the board and are left out; vias are ignored. Mechanical values are the bare laminate's.

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 DMLS 316L Stainless Steel stronger than PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes?

DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against tensile strength 315 MPa for PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes (1.68x).

Which is stiffer, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes?

DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 23.9 GPa for PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.

Which expands less with temperature?

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 15.7 µm/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.

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Stiffness against density

Strength against density