Materials / Compare
FDM HIPS vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Compare FDM HIPS 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 | not given (tensile used) | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 18.4MPasourcetypical | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Flexural strength | 31.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 1.4%sourcetypical | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.59GPasourcetypical | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) |
| Density | 1,023kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine |
| Strength to weight | 18kN·m/kg | 67.1kN·m/kg3.73x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.55MN·m/kg | 23.4MN·m/kg15.1x higher |
| 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 | 1,246m/s | 4,839m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 400µm growth | 78.6µm growth5.09x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.1mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 2,067W/m |
| Glass transition | 99°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | not sourced |
| Values for | BASF Forward AM (BASF 3D Printing Solutions) Ultrafuse HiPS, TDS v2.2 (13.11.2019), printed specimens, XY 'Flat'. Specimen print settings are not stated; recommended processing on the sheet: nozzle 240-260 °C, bed 100-120 °C, 40-80 mm/s. Product is discontinued (Forward AM product page) but the TDS is still served by Forward AM. | 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.
FDM HIPS and DMLS 316L Stainless Steel are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM HIPS stronger than DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against tensile strength 18.4 MPa for FDM HIPS (28.8x).
Which is lighter, FDM HIPS or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
FDM HIPS is lighter: 1,023 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, FDM HIPS or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 1.59 GPa for FDM HIPS, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM HIPS or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM HIPS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | FDM HIPS | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 15.1x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 40% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.58x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.73x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 22% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 44% 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, FDM HIPS or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM HIPS.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel expands less: 15.7 µm/m·K against 80 µm/m·K for FDM HIPS.