Influence of the Process Parameters on the Shape and Dimensions of the Parts Obtained by Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Selective laser sintering is an additive technology that uses the energy of a laser beam together with an additional heating source in order to generate the high enough temperatures for particle bonding. Due to the multitude of process parameters that have to be controlled during the process, inconsistencies in shape, size and mechanical properties of the parts occurs in all additive manufacturing technologies. The purpose of the paper was to quantify the influence of the part position along the front-back (Y) axis of the machine, on the thickness and cross section tapper angle of parts. The material used in study was Alumide and the sinterization process was accomplished on Formiga P 100 machine. The idea of the study relay on experimental observations conducted along the time. These indicate that the geometry of the part is significantly influenced by the positioning of the models in the building plane. The statistic data processing prove that the parts are significantly different from the geometrical point of view when grows in different locations of the building plane. (paper)