Stainless Steel 316L
The most commonly printed stainless steel in AM. 316L offers excellent corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties, and is significantly more affordable than titanium or nickel alloys — making it the default choice for functional prototyping and production parts.
About Stainless Steel 316L
316L is an austenitic stainless steel with 16–18% chromium, 10–14% nickel, and 2–3% molybdenum. The "L" denotes low carbon content (<0.03%), which improves weldability and resistance to intergranular corrosion — both important for AM where rapid solidification and reheating cycles are inherent.
In LPBF, 316L consistently achieves >99.5% relative density and tensile strengths of 600–700 MPa — significantly higher than wrought equivalents (~500 MPa) due to the fine cellular microstructure produced by rapid solidification. This AM-specific strengthening effect is one of the most well-documented cases where printed material outperforms its conventional counterpart.
316L is the most cost-effective metal AM material, with powder costs approximately 5–10× lower than titanium alloys. This makes it the go-to material for functional prototypes, tooling, fixtures, and production parts where exotic alloys are not required.
Typical Applications
- Functional prototypes and tooling
- Medical instruments and surgical guides
- Food and pharmaceutical processing equipment
- Marine hardware and fittings
- Automotive exhaust and turbo components
- Architectural and design elements
Engineering Considerations
- Lower strength than maraging or tool steels — not for high-hardness tooling
- Excellent starting material for AM process development and benchmarking
- Magnetic permeability can be affected by build parameters (relevant for some sensor applications)
- Binder jetting offers lower cost per part but with slightly lower density (~99%)