One of the revolutionary features of direct metal 3D printing techniques such as selective laser melting (SLM) is the capability to manufacture jewelry from platinum alloys, which are notoriously difficult to cast because of their high melting temperature and high reactivity with the crucible and investment mold materials. These material attributes of platinum have the consequence of high production costs, the need for specific furnaces and the incidence of frequent defects in the resulting jewelry products, making SLM a practical alternative to casting.

In this paper, the revolutionary scope of the SLM technique in platinum jewelry production is compared to traditional production techniques. The technical aspects as well as the economic/financial implications to the production process are considered in order to understand whether and how much the introduction of the SLM technique constitutes an improvement in platinum jewelry manufacturing.

Author: Damiano Zito