Rapid manufacturing of polymer parts by selective laser sintering

Abstract

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is a manufacturing method which has existed since the 1990s. It was initially limited to manufacturing prototypes as it does not require any other tooling than the laser sintering machine to manufacture the part. For several years now, the use of this process has extended to manufacturing of real parts. This article presents an analysis carried out to better understand the advantages and drawbacks of SLS for Rapid Manufacturing. The influence of the various parameters linked with the manufacturing process on the final quality of parts was assessed. We then assisted industrial partners in using this manufacturing method for their own production. The aspects studied are: product design, its qualification and finally support in industrialisation.