What is Laser Sintering?
Laser
Sintering, short for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS®)
is a rapid prototyping and short run rapid manufacturing process.
It was developed by Carl Deckard for his master’s thesis
at the University of Texas and is now used by LaserSintering.com
to create a variety of prototypes. This is cutting edge technology,
which can be applied to almost every industry, including electronics,
aviation, aerospace, automotive, oil refining, pump and valve
applications, medical tools, implants and surgical planning,
as well as military equipment and others. Complexity is hardly
ever an issue.
The process
basically begins with a computerized 3D solid model of a part,
which the computer slices into extremely thin layers (0.003
to 0.010 inch). This cross sectional data is then sent to
the selective laser sintering machine to selectively guide
the laser beam over a correspondingly thin layer of powdered
material including polymers (nylon, also glass-filled or with
other fillers, and polystyrene), metals (steel, titanium,
alloy mixtures and composites) traditional waxes, and foundry
sand. These powders fuse or “sinter” under the
heat of the laser. Layer by layer and feature by feature the
digital solid model is recreated into a real functional part,
ready for use, part in hand, in just hours or days, rather
than months.
Advantages
of Laser Sintering
• Increase
product reliability – identify design problems quickly
• Produce durable parts without tooling
• Prototypes can withstand form, fit and functional testing
• Parts can be readily joined mechanically or with adhesives
• No support structures are needed — parts are cleaner
and require less post-processing
• Can be finished and painted
Best
Applications for SLS® Technology
•
Parts for mechanical and thermal tests
• Series of small plastic parts
• Large and complex functional parts
• Master patterns for castings and secondary processes
• Functional models.
Laser Sintered master models can also be used for "master
patterns" when it comes time for metal castings and are
easily modified to accommodate any last minute changes. Additionally,
SLS® models can be used for photo-optic stress analysis
as well as dynamic vibrational analysis, which further extends
engineering design capabilities.
Rapid Prototyping
Laser Sintering is the next step in fast, cost effective
part production.
The process not only saves time and reduces costs in production,
it allows manufacturers to accommodate engineering changes
quickly and improve supportability after products leave the
factory. This allows customers to make design improvements
that were previously considered too expensive and to rely
on the quick availability of spare parts without having to
buy large inventories of them.
Our Assoiciates sites Stereolithography | Rapid Prototyping | SLA Prototyping Software | Solidworks FIles | RP Plug-in | 3d Solid Modeling | 3D Design | Rapid Prototpying News | Stereolithography News RP Information | Rapid Prototyping Blog
|
