Independent metal AM
LPBF and DED, explained simply.
Two metal-printing routes can build very different kinds of parts and need different evidence.
LPBF in one sentence
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) uses a laser to melt thin layers of metal powder into a finished shape.
DED in one sentence
Directed energy deposition (DED) feeds metal powder or wire into an energy source and deposits material where it is needed.
Think of it like this
Build a detailed shape inside a powder bed.
Add metal directly onto a surface or grow a larger shape.
Good for
LPBF can suit detailed, complex parts that fit the qualified powder-bed process. DED can suit larger deposited shapes, repair or adding material to an existing surface when the machine and qualified process support it.
Not ideal for
Neither route is automatically the lowest-cost choice. Simple high-volume shapes may suit conventional manufacturing, and a process is a poor fit when the alloy, geometry, finishing or acceptance route is not qualified.
Beginner comparison
| Question | LPBF | DED |
|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | Powder | Powder or wire |
| How material is added | Layer by layer | Deposited directly |
| Typical focus | Detailed parts | Larger parts, repair or deposition |
| Post-process | Often required | Often required |
Actual capabilities vary by machine, material and qualified process.
Why this matters
Scale contrast in the reviewed library
The machine library contains dated, source-linked examples of both sides, and the size contrast is the clearest honest difference. Wire-fed DED: the reviewed Meltio M600 lists a 300 × 400 × 600 mm envelope with 1,000 W total laser power and a quad-wire head. OEM ↗ · Source reviewed Electron-beam wire DED: the reviewed Sciaky EBAM 300 page lists a 228 × 48 × 48 in (5,791 × 1,219 × 1,219 mm) work envelope — tens of times the LPBF build volumes below. OEM ↗ · Source reviewed LPBF comparators from the same library: EOS M 290 at 250 × 250 × 325 mm OEM ↗ · Source reviewed and Nikon SLM 500 at 500 × 280 × 365 mm. OEM ↗ · Source reviewed
Technical differences
The Sciaky reference describes electron-beam, wire-fed deposition in vacuum. Meltio describes laser wire deposition. These are different energy sources and feedstock routes; neither should be treated as a laser powder-bed system.
OEM ↗ · Source reviewed OEM ↗ · Source reviewedAsk for the available alloy feedstock, deposited material condition, finishing route and inspection evidence. The current ownership calculator is limited to LPBF; it does not silently reuse powder-bed assumptions for wire deposition.
Compare machines →Material evidence →