Selective laser sintering: applications and technological capabilities

Rapid prototyping (RP) models are no longer used only for design verification. Currently, parts built utilizing layer manufacturing technology can be employed as functional prototypes and as patterns or tools for different manufacturing processes such as vacuum casting, investment casting, injection moulding, die casting and sand casting. The selective laser sintering (SLS) process is becoming widely used in industry, its main advantage over other RP processes being that it can produce parts in a wide range of materials. This paper describes applications of some of the materials available with the SLS process and, by means of case studies, explains the technological capabilities of this process.