subject: Information About Laser Sintering Rapid Prototype Service [print this page] It's not a great secret that SLP was started as SLS since 1999. To the best of our knowledge, the owerview of this major rapid prototype manufacturing method went very well. We can securely suppose that a few years later, several laser sintering rapid prototype machines are producing plastic parts of a constantly growing size and for an ever-growing range of applications.
You should also keep in mind that selective laser sintering can be applied in every step of the product development cycle, from the fabrication of one-shot prototyps to functional test parts and small manufacturing series.
Actually, laser sintering is proper for larger amounts of components, even for group of 50 to 100 pieces and more. It is critical to note that laser sintering is also a method by which parts are built layer by layer. In addition, the main material contain of powder with element sizes in the order of magnitude of 50 m. If we are making a deeper analysis of this problem, successive powder layers are spread on top of each other. Afterwards, after deposition, a PC controlled CO2 laser ray scans the surface and selectively binds together the pulverize particles of the corresponding cross sector of the creation.
It is very important to take into account that for the period of laser contact, the powder temperature rises above the glass transition point after which adjacent particles flow together and this procedure is named sintering.
As far as my private practice can be taken into account, SLS is the perfect solution for such types as fully functional models with mechanical properties analogous to those of injection molded parts or series of small components as a cost-effective alternative to injection molding or great and complex functional parts up to 700380x580 mm in one piece or even for the design of complex, exclusive, personalized designs built as once-only products or in small batches. If you think to use laser sintering, you wouldn't be unhappy as this method is fast, inexpensive, it produces durable and practical, as well as large and complex parts. Also, it is possible to complete direct production of small quantity projects and there is a design liberty as well as a wide range of final degrees.
As a matter of truth, this method may deal with several types of materials. Along with the most accepted is polyamide. Undoubtedly you have to pay serious attention to the fact that being a solid material, the powder has the attractive function of being self-supporting for the generated product sections this makes supports redundant. There is also a need to mention that the polyamide material permit the fabrication of fully functional rapid prototype with high mechanical and thermal resistance.
The other material is glass-filled polyamide. The thing is that the use of polyamide powder filled with glass particles (has a much higher thermal resistance and is normally applied in functional tests with aggresive thermal loads. And, finally, alumide is also commonly used. As far as this issue is concerned, alumide is a blend of aluminium powders and PA powder, which permit non-porous, metallic-looking components to be machined incomplex and is resistant to aggresive temperatures.
