September 24, 2020

3D PRINTING WITH SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - MAKENICA

Selective Laser Sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology. A laser is casted as the power origin to sinter powdered material pointing it automatically at points defined by a 3D prototype, binding the material together to create a solid structure.

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What is Selective laser sintering (SLS)?

Selective Laser Sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology. A laser is casted as the power origin to sinter powdered material pointing it automatically at points defined by a 3D prototype, binding the material together to create a solid structure.

It is a new technique of 3D Printing in India used for rapid prototyping and for low-volume production of component parts.

What are the materials used in SLS 3D Printing?

Nylon still remains the most popular SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) material used by many 3D Printing companies.

In addition to nylon, nowadays SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printers can also process PEEK, PEKK, flexible TPUs, flame-retardant polymers and anti-static polymers for affordable 3D Printing services.

Nylon: –

Nylon filament is a tough, long-lasting and versatile material of 3D printing services in India and has a friction coefficient and high melting temperature. This makes it a great choice for a number of everyday items such as 3D printed tools, gears, RC cars and more.

It is also known as Polyamide and is usually found in the forms- PA 11 and PA 12.

Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK): –

PEEK polymers are acquired by step-growth polymerization. It is a semi crystalline thermoplastic material with excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties that are kept to high temperatures.

It is used to manufacture items with 3D Printing online used in demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, oil and gas and medical industries.

Polyether Ketone Ketone (PEKK): –

It is also a semi-crystalline thermoplastic that is increasingly used in the additive manufacturing market by many 3D Printing companies in Bangalore.

Often compared to PEEK, it is Easier to print than PEEK, in particular thanks to its lower crystallisation rate.

PEKK is mainly found in the form of filament compatible with high temperature machines, but also in powder form for a very limited number of SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printers.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU): –

TPU is a form of elastomer, capable of being used on any properly equipped FDM 3D printer.

In 3D printing online, TPU 3D printed parts are durable and have the ability to withstand ambient temperatures

What are the main characteristics of SLS 3D Printing services?

Materials	Thermoplastics (usually nylon)
Dimensional accuracy	± 0.3%
Typical build size	300 x 300 x 300 mm
Common layer thickness	100 – 120 microns
Support	Not required

How does SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D Printing online works?

Initially, starts as a computer-aided design (CAD) file, then converted to. STL format, for the understandability of 3D printers in online 3D Printing services in India.

Objects printed with SLS are created with powder materials which are dispersed in a thin layer on top of the build platform inside an SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) machine.

A laser, administered by a computer point to the object to be “print,” spurts down on the platform, tracing a cross-section of the object onto the powder.

The powder is heated by a laser either below its boiling/melting point or above its boiling/melting point, which combines the particles in the powder together into a solid form.

As the initial layer is formed, the platform exposes a new layer of powder for the laser to trace and combine together.

This process is continued repeatedly and the entire object has been printed.

After formation, the object is left to cool in the machine before being removed.

Sanding is not necessarily required after the object is printed.

This can take a considerable amount of time (up to 12 hours).

The parts are then cleaned with compressed air and are ready to use for further post process.

The leftover unsintered powder is collected and can be reused (SLA powder is only 50% recyclable).

What are the advantages of SLS 3D Printing?

Can be used with different materials like Nylon PA12, Alumide, Carbonmide , PEBA.
Allows creation of efficient designs:
- prototypes
- consumer products
- architectural models
- hardware
- electronics housing
- medical devices
- sculptures
- jigs and fixtures
Allows adding surface finishes on the parts to get great final products.
Rapid manufacturing

What are the disadvantages of SLS 3D Printing?

Not biocompatible
Not food safe
Not watertight
Printers required are expensive

What are the types of SLS Printers?

The differentiating features are the type of laser and the size of the build volume.

Industrial SLS 3D Printers: –

Industrial SLS 3D printing Bangalore involves a single or multiple high-power carbon dioxide lasers.
The online 3D printing system for larger build volume is complex. This technology requires inert nitrogen or other gases to prevent degrading or oxidising of materials.
Therefore, they need special sintering air handling equipment.

Benchtop SLS 3D printers: –

This is a more compact and manageable form.
They use a diode or fibre laser to provide equal beam quality at a lesser cost.
These systems of online 3D Printing India have a smaller build area and so require less heating which further enables it to run on standard AC power with no specialized infrastructure.
As the powder gets exposed to elevated temperatures for a shorter period of time, there is no need for inert gases and specialized air handling equipment.
The total energy consumption allows benchtop systems to run on standard AC power with no specialized infrastructure.

Best 3D Printer Providers for SLS Technology: –

1. The Sinterit Lisa

It is one of the most affordable 3D printing services for SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printers on the market today.
The first one to be released was by Polish manufacturer Sinterit in 2014, the Sinterit Lisa.
It has a build volume of 150 x 200 x 150 mm.
It has a layer thickness of up to 75 microns.
It offers a budget-friendly option for small businesses for 3D Printing in India.
Being durable it is used in rigid applications.
It supports Polyamide 12 and Flexa Black material.

2. Formlabs’ Fuse 1

The first Fuse 1 3D printer was released in 2017.
It has a build volume of 165 x 165 x 320 mm.
It has a layer thickness of 0.1 mm.
It is also affordable for offering affordable 3D Printing services.
Average speed of printing is 10mm per hour.
It supports Nylon PA 12 material only.

3. 3D Systems’ ProX SLS 6100

This is an industrial-grade 3D printer from 3D Systems.
It has a large build capacity of 381 x 330 x 460 mm.
It has a layer thickness of 0.08mm.
Provides a fully automated powder recycling and handling system.
These are suitable for functional prototyping and end parts complex ducting, housing, machinery parts etc.
Materials compatible with are proprietary DuraForm ProX polyamides -PA 11, PA 12 and reinforced nylons (aluminium, fiber and glass-filled).

4. Prodways’ ProMaker P4500 HT

First developed by French manufacturer Prodways.
This industrial 3D printer is the latest in the P4500 line.
It has a build volume of 400 x 400 x 450 mm.
It provides more diverse choice of production-grade materials
Its materials are medical and aerospace certified.
It is able to operate at temperatures of up to 220°C producing high-performance final parts for various industries.
Materials supported are PA11, PA12, mineral, carbon fibre, glass, aluminium-filled nylons, medical grade nylons

5. EOS FORMIGA P110

It features a build volume of 200 x 250 x 330 mm.
EOS is cost effective.
Produces high-quality nylon parts.
Recyclable nylon materials are used
The printers are suitable for printing prototypes and parts with highly complex geometries
Other Materials supported are PA 11 (white, black), PA 12 (white, FDA certified), aluminium- and glass bead filled nylons, Polystyrene powder, Polyether amide powder.

6. Sinterit Lisa

It is a product of a Polish manufacturer, Sinterit.
Its print volume is 150 x 200 x 150 mm.
Sinterit Lisa is compatible with the usual PA12 Nylon and Flexa black materials.
The Sinterit Lisa is a precise powder 3D printer, with a layer thickness of 0.075-0.175mm.
It is not portable as it weighs 41 kgs.

7. Natural Robotics VIT

It is a product of a Spain based company.
Its print volume is 250 x 250 x 250 mm.
It features a 7-inch touch screen display for printing and display.
It is a good choice for 3D printing online large parts simultaneously.
Works on a decent speed at 20 mm/s in addition to a Z axis resolution of 0.05mm.

8. Sintratec S1

It is a product of a company in Switzerland.
Its print volume is 130 x 130 x 180 mm.
It offers a very good precision accuracy, at 100 microns.
It’s also quite significantly heavier and is not portable than its kit form, weighing 67kg.
It is also quite expensive

9. Formlabs Fuse 1 SLS 3D Printer

It is a product of a company in the USA.
Its print volume is 165 x 165 x 320 mm.
They were first established in 2011 and have since then grown massively.
It offers a speed of 10mm/s and a layer thickness of 100µm
Formlabs Fuse can be connected via ethernet or Wi-Fi.

10. 3D Systems ProX SLS 6100

It is a product of a USA based company.
Its print volume is 381 x 330 x 460 mm.
This 3D printing service has been around since the mid-1980s.
They were the one who commercialised stereolithography.
It offers a layer thickness between0.08 and 0.15 mm.

11. EOS Formiga P 110

It is made by a Germany based company.
Its print volume is 200x 250x 330mm.
It offers a layer thickness of 0.06/0.1/0.12 mm depending on the materials used.
It is a fairly fast printer offering speed of 20mm/h and weighs approximately 600kg.
It is expensive.

12. Sharebot SnowWhite

It is a product of an Italy based company.
Its print volume is 100 x 100 x 100 mm.
Snowwhite is compatible with PA12 (Nylon), PA11, TPU and more.
It has an easy user-interface at a good 3D Printing quote.
It is primarily designed for industrial purposes despite the small print volume.

13. Red Rock 3D

It is a product of a Russia based company.
Its print volume is 180 x 180 x 180 mm.
It is an industrial printer developed for rapid prototyping.
It is a perfect choice for batch production.
Red Rock has a printing speed of 20cm³/h.
The parts can be created fairly quickly to be tested for their effectiveness in 3D Printing services in India.
The downside is that this industrial printer is compatible only with Nylon PA12.

14. XYZprinting MfgPro230 xS