Selective laser sintering and cladding of single-component metal powders

A comparison of selective laser sintering (SLS) and selective laser cladding (SLC) methods is presented. Loose single-component, Ni-alloy powder was used in this study. The powder feeding system formed the flow of powder particles directed into the zone of laser spot. The particles were deposited directly onto a substrate or onto the top of a pedestal. The powders were treated with a CW-Nd:YAG laser (lambda = 1.06 mum). The beam was motionless relative to the powder bed. As a result, the samples of sintered or remelted powders were built up as the vertical rods. The geometrical characteristics, structure and mechanical properties of samples were investigated.