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Selective Laser Sintering Tech - Top Benefits To Boost Manufacturing


Before any product goes into full-scale production, it has to go through the phases of multiple tests and refines. It is during this period, prototypes of the product are used that allow the team working on it to detect possible flaws, boost its functionality and lower risks of physical testing.

Therefore, it makes complete sense the importance of prototypes in the manufacturing industry. 3D printing is prominently used for the making of prototypes, with its rapid and precise ability to create physical models from digital designs.

Now, when it comes to 3D printing, one of the fastest growing and most capable technologies used is Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). In fact, it is considered to be the second most used technology for 3D printing worldwide.

Wonder what are the reasons behind its popularity? Let’s explore the benefits of SLS in the 3D printing and manufacturing industry.

 

What Is Selective Laser Sintering?

 

It is an additive manufacturing technique for 3D printing that utilises a high-power laser beam to sinter small particles of polymer powder into a solid structure based on a 3D model.

The laser beam targeted at the powder melts enough that the molecules become malleable to join together and create the desired shape. This method of printing has been broadly classified under the category of Powder Bed Fusion.

This category involves filling a powder bed with powdered plastic, metal, glass or ceramic. It is then heated that results in the powder to adhere to one another.

 

How Does Selective Laser Sintering Works to Deliver High-Precision 3D Printing?

 

This technique works in three key steps to deliver intended 3D printing results. They are —

  1. Printing: Inside of the build chamber of a 3D printing system, the powder is dispersed in a thin layer on top of a platform. The system preheats the powder to a level below the melting point of the raw material. This way it becomes easier for the laser beam to raise the temperature of any specific region of the powder bed as the laser works the process of tracing the model to solidify a part. Scanning

  1. the cross-section of the 3D model, the laser heats the powder to just below or right at the melting point of the material. It results in mechanically fusing the particles together and creating one solid part. As for the unfused powder, it supports the part during printing. The platform is lowered by one layer into the build chamber, typically between 50 to 200 microns, and the process repeats for each layer until parts are complete.

 

  1. Cooling: After the printing process is done, the build chamber needs to be cooled down slightly. The cooling is necessary for the inside of the print enclosure and outside of it. This will help in optimising mechanical properties of the material and prevent any warping in parts.

 

  1. Post-Processing: Once cooled off, the parts are removed from the build chamber, separated and then cleaned to get rid of excess powder. The extracted powder can be recycled and the finished printed parts can undergo further processing phases of media blasting or media tumbling.

 

Advantages of Additive Manufacturing — SLS Technique

 

Now that you know how the SLS technique works for 3D printing, let's learn about the many perks that this additive manufacturing technique has to offer.

 

Quickly Prints Huge Volumes of Parts

 

One of the highlights of selective laser sintering is that it has the capacity to produce a huge volume of printed parts. This advanced technique allows the production team to stack their models tightly inside the build volume.

An advantage that is not seen in other 3D technologies, even automatically through a nesting feature, reducing printout times. It is capable of high throughput at a reduced cost per part in combination with high-speed laser. Therefore, making them one of the cost-effective 3D printing methods too.

SLS is the ideal option to go for if you are looking for increased production rates or scaling manufacturing successfully.

 

Parts Created with High Level of Precision & Flexibility

 

The accuracy level of the laser beam in SLS technology is responsible for creating precision parts. As the SLS technique has no requirement for support structures, the method boasts total flexibility of form.

Therefore, applications which have a demand for complex geometries and precise shapes including interior features, undercuts, thin walls, etc. opt for SLS. Most importantly, if the engineers adhere to the design specifications, manufacturing complex geometries is easily achievable.

Additionally, selective laser sintering offers intriguing mechanical benefits that make it possible to create useful components.

 

Contributes to Functional Prototyping

 

Selective laser sintering outbids conventional printing techniques on many levels. One of them is that it creates designs that rely heavily on particular functionalities.

Support structures are not a need in 3D printing since SLS uses unfused powder created during the process. This allows for conceiving features such as moving pieces inside themselves or overhanging structures.

It can also contribute to printing of multiple parts together as one assembled unit.

 

No Support Structures Needed 

 

Unlike other additive manufacturing techniques, SLS has no requirement for support structures. The powder itself works as a self-supporting element.

During the process, the power is uniformly dispersed into the build chamber. The unfused powder is used as supports that gives the advantage of decreasing the need for labour and resource-intensive support post-processing procedures.

 

Minimum Wastes Produced During The Process

 

SLS technique does not involve excessive use of raw material for prototyping. This means parts can be produced without a lot of wastage of materials.

In comparison to other processes such as subtractive manufacturing, SLS is way more efficient. It only utilises powder precisely needed to create parts to build the final product.

After the parts are finished being printed, the extra powder can be collected and reused for future production.

 

3D Printing Metal System with SLS Technology

 

At Dutco Tennant, we supply high-quality 3D printing metal machines that utilise SLS technique. Our product is suitable for rapid prototyping and creating high-resolution nylon parts up faster.

Connect with us to learn about our supplies.

 

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