What is direct metal laser sintering used for?
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is an industrial 3D printing process that builds fully functional – rapid metal prototypes and production parts in 7 days or less. A range of metals produce final parts that can be used for end-use applications.
What are the disadvantages of laser sintering?
Selective Laser Sintering Disadvantages / Limitations
- Very expensive. The machines can often cost $250,000+, and the materials cost $50-60/kg.
- Cool-down time of 50% of print time can mean up to 12 hours of waiting. This leads to longer production time.
- Parts have a grainy surface without any post-processing.
How does SLS print work?
The SLS 3D printer uses a laser as a energy source which selectively melts powdered plastic material, fusing them together into a 3D printed part. This technology is part of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), one of the most advanced and reliable technologies in the 3D printing field of additive manufacturing.
What materials can SLS use?
Commercially-available materials used in SLS come in powder form and include, but are not limited to, polymers such as polyamides (PA), polystyrenes (PS), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), and polyaryletherketones (PAEK).
What type of materials is used in SLM machine?
SLM Solutions’ IN939 is a highly alloyed material containing amounts of chromium, cobalt, titanium, tungsten, aluminum, tantalum, and niobium. Owing to IN939’s high temperature mechanical properties, the alloy is widely used in turbine component construction.
Is SLS the same as SLM?
What is the difference between SLS vs SLM? SLS atomically fuses powdered industrial materials together using a high-powered laser; SLM fuses powdered materials together by heating them until they reach a melting point. Sintering temperatures typically run at about 85% of a material’s melting point.
What is a major advantage of laser sintering melting?
5.5. 3 Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Very strong, very tough metal parts | Relatively new technology |
Accurate | Very high cost of machine and materials |
Materials can be sterilised easily (using autoclave) | Inert gas supply required |
Wide range of metal materials |
What are the pros and cons of selective laser sintering?
Advantages & Disadvantages of SLS In A Nutshell
S.No. | SLS Advantages | SLS Disadvantages |
---|---|---|
5. | Very fast 3D printing. | 3D prints are brittle in nature. |
6. | Robust 3D Printed parts. | Post-Processing procedures are difficult. |
7. | High dimensional accuracy. | |
8. | The cost of printing is comparatively Low. |
What is direct metal laser sintering?
Before you can remove the object from the build platform, heat treatments are required with Direct Metal Laser Sintering. This involves heating and cooling the object at regulated temperatures to help the part solidify and become stronger. This also helps increase the porosity of the metal.
What materials are used in laser sintering?
Direct Metal Laser Sintering / SLM Materials Though 3D printer manufacturers are continuously innovating to create new metal powders, there are a number of main metal powders used in DMLS 3D printing. These include aluminum and titanium, though others such as Cobalt-chrome, Stainless steel and Inconel are also commonly used.
Can laser sintered parts be built without a support structure?
It is not possible, however, to build detached parts, which can be done when making plastic laser sintered parts. Overhangs with an angle greater than 35 degrees can be built without requiring a support structure.
What to do with excess powder after laser sintering?
Excess Powder Removal As with Selective Laser Sintering, parts are surrounded with the material powder in the build chamber. Therefore, any excess unsintered powder needs to be removed from the part, to either be reused (if possible) or thrown away. 4.