Laser Sintering (SLS)
Laser Sintering (SLS®)
Sintered parts, or SLS models are ideal when you need tough, stable parts for harsh environment testing or end-use applications. The use of Sintering enables you to eliminate tooling cost and drastically reduce your time and cost of your product development or production.
At 3Dproparts, we use next generation, high precision and production SLS technology from 3D Systems, a global leader in total laser sintering solutions. Choose from the widest selection of materials with properties close to or matching the properties of injection molded parts and get ready-to-use, quality parts next day.
Key Benefits
SLS parts are ideally used for form, fit and function and direct manufacturing applications. Key benefits include:
- Best accuracy and smooth surface finish
- Consistent part characteristics
- Design to tool-less production runs in one step
- Widest range of materials offering
- 3Dproparts Exclusive: DuraForm FR – only flame retardant sintering material on the market
- Multiple finishing options
Applications
SLS parts are consistent, stable and durable and provide excellent prototypes and end-use parts for industries and applications that apply demanding and functional testing, giving you the flexibility to modify, optimize and evolve designs on the fly.
Companies around the world rely on SLS parts for low to mid-volume direct manufacturing needs, cutting tooling time and expenses and getting the product to market faster.
For example, engineers of aircraft components are able to use SLS ducts directly in the aircraft as today’s latest materials (DuraForm) withstand high temperatures and tough environments. Other industries that are widely using the SLS technology are:
Automotive Design and Intake Manifold Testing, Aerospace, Defense, Heavy Equipment, Medical, Electronics, Consumer Products, Whitegoods, Sporting Goods, Packaging, Home & Garden Equipment, Government Research
The Technology
An additive layer-by-layer process, Selective Laser Sintering technology uses a high-temperature laser to melt and fuse, or sinter, powdered plastics or metal into a three-dimensional part.
Step by Step
- A 3D CAD file is translated into a surface model made up of thousands of small triangles.
- File is sliced into many layers like a stack of cards and transferred into an SLS System.
- A thin layer (0.004inches) of powder is rolled unto the build platform, a laser solidifies the powder based on the geometry outline.
- A laser beam repeatedly fuses thin powder layers and gradually produces solid, three-dimensional parts.
Laser Sintering Materials
SLS Materials are reaching new dimensions with the development and introduction of 3D Systems’ latest DuraForm flame retardant and polypropylene plastics. Parts produced are capable of withstanding harsh test conditions or meet the toughness requirements of direct manufacturing applications without the need for tools and fixtures.
The wide and extended DuraForm Materials portfolio of plastics, composites, and metals offers rapid access to production-quality parts in single, low and medium quantities.
Latest SLS Materials offered by 3Dproparts:
| DuraForm FR 100 Plastic A halogen-free flame retardant plastic. |
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DuraForm HST Composite Fiber-reinforced, high stiffness plastic composite |
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| DuraForm EX Plastic This impact-resistant plastic offers the toughness of injection-molded polypropylene and ABS. |
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DuraForm Flex Plastic Elastomeric material with rubber-like flexibility and a range of Shore A hardnesses |
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| DuraForm PA Plastic A durable polyamide (nylon) material for real-world physical testing and functional use. |
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Laser Sintering (SLS) Systems
Based on 3D Systems’ proprietary and proven SLS technology, 3Dproparts operates the latest high-speed SLS Systems, consistenly delivering tough and stable plastic and metal parts with unmatched part quality.
The comprehensive series of sPro SLS Centers provides user flexibility with a wide range of custom upgrade options. Depending on your part and production needs, you can choose the system that best fits you today, but still be ready for the part demands of tomorrow.
With integrated powder delivery/recycling, part-building and finishing capability, the sPro Centers are complete Rapid Manufacturing systems enabling you to go from design to tool-less production runs in one step.
The sPro 140/230 SLS Centers offer the largest commercially available build volume, building large, single-piece parts with no seams for aesthetic superiority, one-piece durability, resulting in reduced labor and decreased cost. Build volume – (22 x 22 x 30 in./ 550 x 550 x 750 mm)
Click here to get an instant online quote and evaluate the various SLS materials 3Dproparts offers.