Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Compare Plastic PLA 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 | 52.5MPasourcetypical | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg | 67.1kN·m/kg1.58x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | 23.4MN·m/kg8.93x 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 | 1,619m/s | 4,839m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 78.6µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | 4.1mm²/s46.9x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 2,067W/m |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker PLA, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat) orientation; Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS dated April 20, 2022. | 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.
Plastic PLA and DMLS 316L Stainless Steel are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PLA stronger than DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 52.5 MPa for Plastic PLA (10.1x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PLA or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 3.25 GPa for Plastic PLA, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 8.93x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 18% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.66x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.58x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 36% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.01x 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, Plastic PLA or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.
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