Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) - Engineer's Handbook (original) (raw)

Rapid Prototyping Processes
3D Printing - 3DP	Direct Shell Production Casting - DSPC	Electron Beam Melting - EBM	Fused-Deposition Modeling - FDM
Laminated Object Manufacturing - LOM	Laser Engineered Net Shaping - LENS	Multi-Jet Modeling - MJM	Polyjet Technology
Selective Laser Sintering SLS	Solid-Ground Curing - SGC	Stereolithography SLA or SL

Rapid Prototyping -- Selective Laser Sintering - SLS

The SLS� process creates three dimensional objects, layer by layer, from powdered materials with heat generated by a CO2 laser. The part is built inside of a cylinder that contains a moveable platform, and is formed layer-by-layer. A roller deposits a layer of powder across the top of the cylinder; the laser fuses the powder to create the part geometry and also bonds each layer to the one beneath it; the platform drops by the height of one layer; the roller deposits another layer of powder, and the process continues.

Some materials being used are polycarbonate, nylon, polyester, Protoform@153 Composite(Nylon & Glass), TrueForm&153 PM Polymer, Rapid Steel Metal(Carbon Steel particles w/ Polymer coating) and polystyrene.

The SLS process can typically hold tolerances in the range of +.002" to +.010" across the part- building envelope.