How Does SLS Printing Services Work?

How Does SLS Printing Services Work?

3D printing has steadily been gaining popularity in the past decade, but the process is much older than you may think. Selective laser sintering (SLS) printing services have actually been around since the 1980’s. If you’re interested in using it for your next project, read on for all the basics you must know about SLS printing services.

Selective laser sintering is an additive manufacturing process that uses a laser to sinter polymer powder into a solid structure. Like most rapid prototyping services, SLS printing requires CAD software during the model design stage.

Once the design has been finalized, SLS printing proceeds as follows: 

Printing The powder material is placed inside the build chamber and preheated to a temperature below its melting point. Then, the laser will scan a cross-section of the 3D model, heating and fusing small particles to create one solid part.

One by one, the layers will be lowered from the platform into the build chamber until the entire part is complete.

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Cooling The build chamber is cooled to avoid part warping and ensure its optimal mechanical properties.

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Post-processing Once the finished parts have been cooled, they are removed from the build chamber, separated, and cleaned of excess powder. Finally, the remaining powder will be recycled while the product is post-processed via media blasting or tumbling.

Typically, SLS printing services use nylon as the primary material because it is known for its resistance to light, heat, moisture, and water. Nylon 11, for instance, is a highly malleable material used in manufacturing impact-resistant parts and prosthetics.

Thanks to nylon’s durability, SLS can cover a wide range of applications: 

General manufacturing

Production of automotive and aerospace parts, medical devices, wind-tunnel test models, and design evaluation models 

Rapid manufacturing Production of aerospace hardware, medical tools, electronics, packaging, and military hardware

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Tooling and patterns Production of jigs, fixtures, and tools

The benefits of SLS printing services Why should you choose SLS 3D printing instead of other manufacturing processes? First, this technology is preferred by engineers and manufacturers for its design freedom, allowing them to create highly complex parts without using support structures.

In addition, SLS printing is highly efficient. It is widely known as the fastest additive manufacturing technology for prototypes. You can tightly arrange multiple parts during the process, maximizing the available build space while taking advantage of cost-effective materials and labor.