Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D Printing in Orange County
What is Selective Laser Sintering?
In Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing, a laser selectively sinters small particles of a polymer powder to build a solid structure layer by layer. All the polymer powders used in SLS 3D printing are thermoplastic. One valuable property of thermoplastic powders is that they can be softened and melted by heating and hardened when cooled. Once they are hardened, they cannot be softened again by heating.
This powder-based additive manufacturing technology is ideal for producing structures with extremely complex geometries. So, making end-use components or prototypes for various industries is not a problem for SLS 3D printing. The following sectors utilize SLS 3D printing extensively.
Whether it is a one-time prototype or functional parts in a small-batch, using our SLS 3D printers, we provide you with accurately manufactured products. The SLS material we use is Nylon 12 Powder, an excellent material for making functional prototypes and end-use products. Our final products have high tensile strength and ductility. They are also very durable with minimal water absorption.
Modeling
Printing
Finishing
Modeling is the first step of SLS 3D printing. Here, a type of computer software known as a computer-aided design (CAD) package is used to design the desired object. Typically, the design is saved as a stereolithography (STL) or Wavefront OBJect (OBJ) fromtat.
The second step is printing itself. When it is confirmed that the STL or OBJ file is error-free, it is uploaded to the SLS 3D printer. According to the respective file instructions, the 3D printer ascertains where and how to lay down the material.
Once the materials are out of the SLS printers, they have a powdery or grainy finish. This is due to the unsintered powder that has served as support during printing. After cleaning the parts, some work is done on the surface to achieve optimal results depending on their intended use.
