Experimental analysis of selective laser sintering of polyamide powders: an energy perspective

Abstract

The diffusion of innovative working process, including rapid prototyping techniques, is needed to achieve sustainable production technology. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) has a potential as an environmental benign alternative to traditional processes but only few authors deal with the process optimisation including energy aspects. In the present paper an analysis of the energetic aspect of SLS is proposed. In addition, with respect to the classical technological parameters (resolution, productivity) attention is paid to energetic elements (energetic productivity, laser parameters) showing how the perspective of a sensible development of such a kind of technology could be beneficial not only from a technological point of view, but also for energy saving in a lot of manufacturing fields. A polyamide powder is the material tested to acquire some characteristics data of the process. It is shown that the energy intensity of the process in optimal condition could be of the order of 0.2 J for each mm 3 of material agglomerated.

Modelling of additive manufacturing processes: a review and classification

“…In Table 4 the modelled KPIs and the process parameters that have been used in each study can be seen. Modelling of the topology/dimensional accuracy takes places in [28] (analytical-numerical approach), in [29][30][31][32][33][34] (numerical) and in [35] (empirical). Mechanical properties and microstructure modelling has been carried out in [30,[36][37][38][39][40][41] using numerical approaches, whereas in [42] an empirical one has been followed.…”

“…Build time has been analytically modelled in [29] and empirically in [44,45]. Energy consumption has been numerically modelled in [33,47]. Finally, most of the studies model heat transfer related KPIs either simultaneously with other KPIs [28,30,32,40,41,46] or exclusively [48][49][50][51][52][53][54] and in either case using the numerical approach.…”

Predicting processing parameters in high temperature laser sintering (HT-LS) from powder properties

“…Most of them focussed on the influence of ED on the mechanical performance of laser sintered parts and the main outcome from these studies was that an increase of the ED caused the mechanical properties, especially tensile strength, to improve up to a value where they stabilise or slightly decrease. Franco et al [7,8] modelled the LS process and quantified the correlation between ED and layer consolidation depth. Although some structures were laser sintered only for a feasibility purpose, rather than for mechanical characterisation, the authors offered a model of LS that includes processing parameters and fundamental material properties for the first time, unlike any of the previous models, which were based on the ED factor only.…”

The Setup Design for Selective Laser Sintering of High-Temperature Polymer Materials with the Alignment Control System of Layer Deposition

“…Figure 9. Dependence between the temperature in control points [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], and the work time of the installation. The correctness of the installation design is indirectly confirmed by the movement accuracy measured in node 4 (lower transition table, Figures 3 and 8), which determines the vertical movement accuracy of node 5 (the building platform) through the system of rigid clamps.…”

“…The SLS makes it possible to manufacture products with a unique internal and/or external surface shape and perspective physical and mechanical properties [1][2][3][4][5]. At the same time, there are a number of promising polymer powder materials that differ from those traditionally and long used in the technology of SLS-nylon [6,7], polycarbonate [8][9][10][11][12], polyamides [13][14][15][16][17], polyethylenes [18,19], or ferrielectric polyvinylidene fluorides [20] and so on-by a combination of high heat resistance, durability, and a wide range of interesting physic-mechanical and chemical-biological properties [21][22][23][24][25][26].…”