Investigating surface roughness of parts produced by SLS process

Abstract

Selective laser sintering (SLS) has been recognized as one of the best rapid prototyping (RP) technique for producing solid models, directly from computer-aided design data by fussing together different layers with the help of laser light. Further, RP has traditionally been used for producing a solid model for visualization purpose and assessing kinematic functionality. So, the model is required to have superior mechanical integrity and surface quality for handling and model testing. This study investigates surface roughness (SR) of parts produced by SLS process. The empirical models have been purposed to predict the feasibility of different process parameters viz., laser power, scan spacing, bed temperature, hatch length, and scan count on SR. Further, these parameters have been optimized using face-centered central composite design with response surface methodology. The optimized parameters have been verified by conducting confirmation experiments.