Effect of humidity changes on dimensional stability of 3D printed parts by selective laser sintering

Abstract

Across many industries, additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is being recognized more and more as an innovative manufacturing technology for the next generation. The automotive industry, especially, has paid huge attention to additive manufacturing, and actively applies it to their design, research, development and manufacturing processes. Selective laser sintering (SLS) in additive manufacturing is emerging and popular, and is often used to produce jigs and fixtures for cost benefits and efficiency in the manufacturing industry. However, the application of additive manufacturing is still limited due to the lack of dimensional stability of 3D printed parts associated with changes in temperature and humidity. This paper examines the effect of humidity changes on the dimensional stability of 3D printed parts made by the SLS process. The test results demonstrated changes in relative humidity may result in design specification violation in terms of dimensional requirement while in use.