Materials / Compare
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Zinc Zamak 3
Compare DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Zinc Zamak 3 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 | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 221MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 283MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal | 10%sourcetypical, in 2 in. |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) | 85.5GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine | 6,600kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 67.1kN·m/kg2x higher | 33.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 23.4MN·m/kg1.81x higher | 13MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value | 0.27sourcetypical, Zamak 3 hot-chamber die cast |
| Shear modulus | 71.2GPa2.11x stiffer in shear | 33.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 154GPa | 62GPa |
| Speed of sound | 4,839m/s | 3,599m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C | 113W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 | 27.4µm/m·Ksourcetypical |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 78.6µm growth1.74x less | 137µm growth |
| Specific heat | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C | 419J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 4.1mm²/s | 40.9mm²/s9.97x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 2,067W/m | 7,782W/m3.77x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 381–387°Csourcemelting range |
| Values for | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 | Zamak 3 (ASTM B86 die cast), Nathan Trotter (zinc alloy producer) technical data sheet, typical values |
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 Zinc Zamak 3?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 221 MPa for Zinc Zamak 3 (2.4x).
Which is lighter, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 is lighter: 6,600 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Zinc Zamak 3?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 85.5 GPa for Zinc Zamak 3, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Zinc Zamak 3?
For the same stiffness or strength: DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel | Zinc Zamak 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1.81x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 23% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 8% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 2x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 50% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 29% 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, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 conducts heat better: 113 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 27.4 µm/m·K for Zinc Zamak 3.