Material properties and selection for selective laser sintering process

Abstract

Nowadays, to produce better quality products with less cost, shorter lead times, more customer delights have become the key requirements to remain competitive in the global market. To fulfil these requirements, additive manufacturing (AM) provides a technological tool for making solid free form products. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is one of the AM techniques using wide range of materials developed by various groups of technology for producing high strength parts with good aesthetic quality satisfying the customer needs. To make this technology viable, more investigation is required to improve the properties of fabricated parts, its accuracy and development of new materials for various applications. Currently, limited materials are available with very high cost that impedes growing number of applications of AM. Knowledge of SLS material properties and fabrication parameter relationship leads to appropriate selection of material for various applications without compromising the value and quality of the SLS fabricated part and customer satisfaction.