This is the first post in a series of Talk posts about Selective Laser Sintering. Over the course of the coming weeks I will tell you all about this magnificent 3D Printing technique.
- This first post will quickly explain the Selective Laser Sintering process, followed by what SLS machines we currently have available, both industrial and desktop.
- Next post I will go more in depth and tell you all about the process from design to physical 3D print
- After which the next post is dedicated to designing for SLS
- To top it off I will conclude this series with some of the most cutting edge use cases I’ve stumbled upon whilst doing my research.
Selective Laser Sintering - Origins
The process of fusing powder material by using a laser was an idea of Carl Deckard, a mechanical engineering undergraduate from Texas University. Throughout his study he developed this additive manufacturing idea. He assembled a team of professors and businessmen, launched his first company and assured funding to further develop his idea. In 1986, after obtaining his masters degree, he filed the patent for his SLS idea. After ‘86 Deckard and his team built the company ‘Nova Automation’, which later became ‘DTM’. After another round of funding, DTM built the first commercial SLS machines: Mod A and Mod B (both part of the 125’s series).
(Paul Forderhase with two 125’s 1)
From this moment DTM got sold numerous times, to finally get bought by 3D Systems in 2001. This acquisition made 3D Systems market leader, and it remains in the lead today. Further down this post I’ll talk about the other players in the market.
The process
The name of the process already gives away 90% of how it works. Selective Laser Sintering is a process where a laser selectively fuses (sintering) material. Step by step it works as follows:
- a layer of powder is coated onto the build platform
- this coat is melted by a laser
- the build platform is lowered
- a new layer of powder will be laid on top
- the process repeats itself
The most common material that is being printed with SLS is ‘Strong & Flexible’, which is white Nylon powder. True to its name, it’s strong and relatively flexible. Furthermore the powder allows for printing moving parts in one go, as well as printing without solidified support material.
It’s important to note that the whole tray of unsintered powder is already heated until near-fusing temperature, the laser does the last push.
Who makes these machines, and which ones are on 3D Hubs?
You already read about the inventor of SLS printing, and that the founding company was acquired by 3D Systems, which has since led the market. But there are more players on the field. The biggest competitor in terms of SLS printer manufacturing for 3D Systems is EOS Gmbh, a German manufacturer. Apart from them, there are several smaller manufacturers, such as ConceptLaser (also German) and Arcam (actually EBM).
An interesting note to this is that the original patent filed by Deckard in 1986, has expired in 2014. This gave birth to a whole range of desktop SLS initiatives, of which Sintertec, Sharebot Snow White and Sinterit Lisa are the most promising examples.
3D Hubs currently hosts 48 SLS printers, of which 31 are labeled ‘HD’ Hubs, meaning they deliver outstanding quality and service.
What can you make with SLS?
So now that we know how it’s made, let’s look into what you can make with SLS. I’ve selected some of the most cutting edge designs, together with some telling examples and downloadable freebies.
(strandbeest by Theo Jansen)
(DWX faucet (actually SLM))
(Flex Marvin)
To conclude this first post in a series about SLS printing, I want to show you an example of innovative design that perfectly embodies the promise of (SLS) 3D Printing. It’s a SLS printed shoe sole, by Adidas’ innovation branch Futurecraft 3D, in collaboration with our partner i.Materialise.
Next time I will tell you all about the process of designing for SLS, the actual printing process and finishing options.
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Nov '15last reply
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