3D Printing Machines

Industrial additive manufacturing resources for engineers and procurement professionals

Build Rate

Definition

Build rate quantifies how quickly an additive manufacturing process can produce material, typically expressed as volume per hour (cm³/h) or mass per hour (kg/h). It varies dramatically between AM processes and is a key factor in cost and lead time calculations.

Details

Comparative build rates:

ProcessTypical Build Rate
WAAM1-10 kg/h (highest)
LMD (powder)0.1-1 kg/h
EBM50-100 cm³/h
DMLS/SLM5-30 cm³/h

Higher build rates generally correlate with lower resolution and surface finish quality, creating a fundamental trade-off in AM process selection.

Category: AM Parameters