Materials reference
Stainless Steel 316L (EOS 316L-4441/4404)
What is it?
Stainless Steel 316L (EOS 316L-4441/4404) is a metal alloy selected for particular strength, temperature, weight or manufacturing needs.
Why would someone print it?
Printing may help create complex shapes or low-volume parts, but the complete finishing and inspection route still matters.
What should a beginner know?
- Confirm the exact machine, material settings and acceptance requirements.
- A material listing does not by itself qualify a production part.
What happens after printing?
Printed parts may need heat treatment, support removal, machining, finishing and inspection before they are accepted. Powder feedstock is often the largest consumable in LPBF economics — public powder price evidence, where records exist, is collected by alloy on its own page.
What is an alloy?
What does this mean? An alloy is a defined metal composition. Why does it matter? Composition, process settings and post-processing affect the finished part.
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Technical material evidence
The default first alloy for many metal AM buyers: an austenitic stainless steel chosen for corrosion resistance and straightforward processability rather than peak strength. Its low-carbon grades resist sensitization at weld and heat-affected zones, which is why it shows up in chemical and process hardware, fixtures and food-contact-adjacent tooling. The AM-specific catch: as-printed corrosion resistance depends on density, surface condition and residual porosity — a printed part earns the alloy’s reputation only when the process is dense and the finish is specified. Verify the exact grade variant, density evidence and post-processing route against the datasheet for your qualified combination.
LPBF · process-family reference. Nominal alloy properties and printed-part properties are different evidence — the table and sections below separate what is verified from what needs your qualified process.
| Property | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Designations | AISI 316L UNS S31603 EN 1.4404 / 1.4441 (EOS sells both; 4441=UNS S31673 per EOS)OEM ↗ · Source reviewed |
| Nominal material density | Density not verified for this alloy |
| Powder price | Current supplier quote required No public powder list price was captured in the supplied source review. Obtain a current supplier quote. |
Post-processing evidence
Stress relief 900C min 2h; solution anneal 1150C (4441) / 1100C (4404) min 1.5h water quench; HT per AMS 2759 optional (EOS data sheet)
OEM ↗ · Source reviewedThis is a research summary, not a production heat-treatment instruction. Use the current OEM material datasheet, qualified parameter set and application-specific acceptance requirements.
Machine and process compatibility
Manufacturing considerations
- as-built corrosion resistance lowered; solution treatment needed for full resistance
- layerwise anisotropy (OEM text)