Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing technique typically used for rapid prototyping and low volume production of functional components. The process employs a laser beam to sinter powdered material, binding it together to create a solid structure. The laser selectively fuses pre-defined areas of a powder bed by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3D digital description of the required part. After each cross-section is scanned, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.
Generating the layers of powder is a precision process and requires a feedstock that can be reliably distributed by the delivery system and that is deposited on to the fabrication bed in a consistent manner without agglomerates or voids. Intermittent flow, or agglomerates within the bulk, will cause non-uniform deposition, adversely affecting the efficiency of the process and the properties of the final product. Identifying which powder properties are conducive with the formation of uniform, repeatable layers allows new formulations to be optimised, and suitable raw materials identified, without incurring the significant financial and time overheads associated with running materials through a process to assess compatibility. This approach also helps reduce the occurrence of final products that are out of specification.
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Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing technique typically used for rapid prototyping and low volume production of functional components. The process employs a laser beam to sinter powdered material, binding it together to create a solid structure. The laser selectively fuses pre-defined areas of a powder bed by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3D digital description of the required part. After each cross-section is scanned, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.
Generating the layers of powder is a precision process and requires a feedstock that can be reliably distributed by the delivery system and that is deposited on to the fabrication bed in a consistent manner without agglomerates or voids. Intermittent flow, or agglomerates within the bulk, will cause non-uniform deposition, adversely affecting the efficiency of the process and the properties of the final product. Identifying which powder properties are conducive with the formation of uniform, repeatable layers allows new formulations to be optimised, and suitable raw materials identified, without incurring the significant financial and time overheads associated with running materials through a process to assess compatibility. This approach also helps reduce the occurrence of final products that are out of specification.
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