SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printing，which is a 3D printing technology based on laser beam and powder, also known as selective laser sintering 3D printing. In this technique, a laser beam sinters a powder into a solid model by scanning a specific area’s powder layer by layer. Selective laser sintering 3D printing technology has the advantages of high precision, high efficiency and wide material applicability.
SLS PA12 is available in three colors: White/Grey/Black.
✔Suitable for strong functional and complex parts
✔High temp resistant
✔High strength and high rigidity, good corrosion resistance, and the sintered parts can be used for a long time
SLS 3D Printing Work Steps:
a. Put a layer of powder on the printing platform first.
b. The laser beam scans the part of the first layer to be printed and sinteres it together to form the first slice.
c. Move one layer down the printing platform and spread a new powder layer.
d. The area of the new layer is scanned again using a laser beam and sintered.
e. Repeat the above steps until the printing is complete.
Complex process and high labor cost: SLS surface finish is a challenge. Compared to other 3D printing technologies, such as stereolithography (SLA) or digital light processing (DLP), SLS prints parts with rough surfaces. This often requires subsequent surface treatment steps such as polishing, sandblasting, or coating to improve the cosmetic quality of the part. The SLS process supports a wide range of materials, and the molded workpiece does not require a support structure, and the material utilization rate is high. Despite this, the price of SLS equipment and the price of materials are still very expensive, because the material needs to be preheated before sintering, the material will volatilize odors during the sintering process, and the working environment of the equipment is relatively harsh. Due to the large differences in the materials used in SLS, it is sometimes necessary to have more complex auxiliary processes. For example, it is necessary to pretreat (heat) the raw material for a long time (about 2 hours), take 5~10 hours to cool the part after construction, and then remove it from the powder tank, and after removal, it is necessary to clean the powder on the surface of the finished product.
High cost of equipment and raw materials: High-quality SLS printers and materials have high costs and require professional operators and maintenance. Due to the use of high-power lasers, the molding process consumes a lot of energy, and the post-processing process is complex. In addition to its own equipment cost, it also needs a lot of auxiliary protection processes and the overall technical difficulty is large, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are very high. Similarly, for industrial-grade 3D printers, the larger the molding size, the more expensive the price. Because the larger the molding size, the higher the requirements for the manufacturing technology, process, and stability of the machine. In addition, the SLS machine uses certain technologies, including special shielding against harmful ultraviolet radiation. This results in printers being expensive and with few desktop options. As a result, SLS powders are more expensive than liquid photopolymers. These factors make the initial cost of SLS investment high, and the price of raw materials and procurement and maintenance costs are high.
