Which additive manufacturing process was developed in the 1990s specifically for producing metal parts?

The process developed specifically for producing metal parts in the 1990s is Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). This technique utilizes a laser to selectively fuse powdered metal, allowing for the creation of complex geometries and high-precision metal components that are particularly beneficial in industries such as aerospace and medical device manufacturing.

DMLS employs the principles of laser sintering, where a laser beam selectively targets specific areas of metal powder, melting it together to form a solid structure layer by layer. This process not only provides the advantages of traditional additive manufacturing, such as design freedom and reduced material waste, but it also enables the fabrication of fully dense metal parts comparable to those produced by traditional manufacturing methods.

The other options, while relevant to additive manufacturing, either focus on non-metal materials or were not specifically designed for metal parts in the same context or timeframe. For example, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is a broader process that can include various materials, including polymers. Digital Light Processing (DLP) typically deals with resin materials and isn’t suited for metal. Electron Beam Melting (EBM), although also a metal additive manufacturing process, was developed later and primarily uses an electron beam instead of a laser. Thus, DMLS