METAL POWDER SELECTION BY APPLICATION
Metal additive manufacturing for dental laboratories, medical device manufacturers and R&D teams starts with the right alloy, traceable powder and a validated production process.
Dental restorations, patient-specific implant development and production equipment cannot be handled with the same material specification. When you submit a supply request through PRODA METAL, state your application, machine, target particle size distribution and required documents together. For special grades including CoCr and Ti6Al4V ELI, availability, batch documents and machine compatibility must be confirmed at the quotation stage.
Dental production
For crown and bridge frameworks and removable partial denture frameworks, CoCr materials with a defined intended use and validated LPBF workflows can be evaluated. Ceramic compatibility, surface finishing and final part acceptance are planned together.
Medical development
Ti6Al4V ELI is among the alloys evaluated in craniomaxillofacial and orthopaedic implant development projects. Design, fatigue, surface condition, cleaning and the biological evaluation of the finished device are separate validation topics.
Production and R&D equipment
316L can be a candidate for surgical instrument development, equipment parts and fixtures. The requirements for an assembly fixture with no patient contact differ from those for an implant that remains in the body.
From material to use case
| Material | Example application | Critical point in selection |
|---|---|---|
| Dental CoCr | Crown and bridge framework; removable partial denture framework | Intended use of the product, alloy composition, ceramic compatibility and a validated machine/process combination. |
| Ti6Al4V ELI / Grade 23 | Patient-specific implant and porous structure development | ELI chemical limits, interstitial elements, fatigue, surface and evaluation of the finished device. Not automatically equivalent to Grade 5. |
| 316L stainless steel | Surgical instrument development; equipment housing; production fixture | Type of contact, corrosion, cleaning and mechanical requirements. A general 316L powder is not suitable for implant use by default. |
These are material use scenarios, not PRODA METAL customer references or clinical outcome claims. For dental and implant materials, the manufacturer’s relevant product documents prevail.
Application guides
Metal 3D printing with dental CoCr: crowns, bridges and partial denture frameworks
CoCr powder, the LPBF workflow and material selection for crowns, bridges and removable partial denture frameworks in dental laboratories.
Medical additive manufacturing with Ti6Al4V ELI: from implant design to powder selection
Ti6Al4V ELI for patient-specific implants, the Grade 5 vs Grade 23 distinction, lattice structures and the production properties that must be validated.
Material selection in medical and dental 3D printing: CoCr, titanium and 316L
Use cases and selection limits of different metal powders for dental frameworks, implants, surgical instrument development and production fixtures.
Qualifying metal powder for medical and dental use: from CoA to validated production
Batch documents, traceability, sample trials and change management when evaluating a new metal powder supplier.
From first sample to production decision
- Define the need: part, intended use, contact duration, machine model and target powder range.
- Review the documents: TDS, batch CoA, SDS, traceability and application-specific quality documents.
- Plan the pilot: comparison with a reference material, trial geometries and acceptance criteria defined in advance.
- Validate the process: the full production chain including heat treatment, surface treatment, cleaning, inspection and reuse rules.
A powder certificate alone does not demonstrate the conformity of a finished medical device. The intended use, risk assessment and applicable regulatory requirements of the final product must be evaluated in the device manufacturer’s quality and regulatory process.
Submit a supply request for your application
Share the alloy/grade, printer model, particle size, sample quantity, estimated annual consumption and required documents. Do not send patient names, images or personal health data.
Technical references and real manufacturer examples are linked in the guides above. You can also browse all applications.