Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Manufacturing Service
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Sintered parts, or SLS models are ideal when you need tough, stable parts for harsh environment testing or end-use applications. SLS manufacturing enables you to eliminate tooling cost and drastically reduce your time and cost of your product development or production. Here is a video link to help you understand how SLS materials can work for your business
Agile uses next generation, high precision, production SLS printing technology from 3D Systems, a global leader in total laser sintering solutions. Choose from the widest selection of materials with properties close to or matching the properties of injection molded parts and get ready-to-use, quality parts. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). In addition to providing printing services Agile Manufacturing also distributes SLS machines for 3D Systems here is a link to our SLS machine page
SLS prototyping and SLS parts are ideally used for form, fit and function testing and direct manufacturing applications. Key benefits include:
- Great accuracy
- Robust
- Consistent part characteristics
- Design to tool-less production runs in one step
- Widest range of materials offering
- DuraForm FR UL94 Flame Retardant Material
- Multiple finishing options
Parts: 1 to 1000+
Shipped in: 2 to 4 days
Excellent for:
- End Use Parts
- Testing Models
- Low Volume Manufacturing
SLS manufacturing uses a high-powered C02 laser to fuse small particles of powdered material to create 3 dimensional parts. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning X&Y cross-sections on the surface of a powder bed. Once a layer is completed, a roller distributes another layer of powder across the entire bed and the sintering process begins again, adding height to the previous layer. The model is built complete to the supplied 3D CAD data.
Once the build is complete, the build is removed and excess powder is carefully broken away from the model. The part is then finished in a tumbler, bead blaster, or by hand to the desired finish level. SLS parts can be coated, smoothed, or dyed.
TOLERANCES
Most parts can be accuratley produced within .005″ or less on the X/Y axis and .010″ on the Z (per inch).
BUILD ENVELOPE
SLS parts can be made up to 22 x 22 x 18″ in size, or multiple parts nested in a single build.
BEST APPLICATIONS
SLS is best suited for functional prototypes, end use parts, and when flame retardant materials are required.
Our SLS Material Offering
Material Summary:
- Durable and tough for true functional plastic parts
- High reuse rates reduce waste and decrease production costs
- Low temperature printing enables faster parts in hand
- Excellent long-term stability; 5+ years indoor for mechanical properties and color
- Vapor-honed parts have excellent translucency and smooth finish
Application Examples:
- General purpose prototypes
- Orthotics
- Tooling handles and grips for use in tough, rugged environments
- Living hinges
- Liquid reservoirs per data sheet specifications
- Enclosures requiring high impact and high toughness
Material Summary:
- Excellent surface resolution and feature detail
- Easy-to-process
- Compliant with USP Class VI testing
- Compatible with autoclave sterilization
- Good chemical resistance and low moisture absorption
- Nicely balanced mechanical properties and processability
- Build prototypes that withstand functional testing
- Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
- Create accurate and repeatable parts as demanded by manufacturers
- Machinable and paintable for demonstration parts
Application Examples:
- Complex, thin-wall ductwork
- Functional prototypes that approach end-use performance properties
- Appropriate for low- to mid-volume rapid manufacturing
- Medical applications requiring USP Class VI compliance, or biocompatibility
- Housings and enclosures
- Impellers and connectors
- Consumer sporting goods
- Vehicle dashboards and grilles
- Snap-fit designs
Features:
- High specific stiffness
- Elevated temperature resistance
- Good powder recycling characteristics
- Easy-to-process
- Excellent surface finish
- Excels in load bearing applications at higher temperatures
- Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
- Build prototypes that withstand functional testing
- Create accurate and repeatable parts as demanded by manufacturers
- Sandable and paintable finished part surfaces
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Applications:
- Housings and enclosures
- Impellers
- Connectors
- Consumer sporting goods
- Functional prototypes that approach end-use performance properties
- Parts requiring machining or joining with adhesives
- Parts requiring stiffness
- Thermally stressed parts
Material Summary:
- Excellent mechanical stiffness
- Elevated temperature resistance
- Dimensionally stable
- Easy-to-process
- Nice surface finish
- Excels in load bearing applications at higher temperatures
- Build prototypes and end-use parts without tooling
- Create accurate and repeatable parts as demanded by manufacturers
- Machinable and paintable for demonstration parts
- Improved isotropic shrinkage due to glass filler
Applications:
- Housings and enclosures
- Consumer sporting goods
- Appropriate for low- to mid-volume rapid manufacturing
- Parts requiring machining or joining with adhesives
- Complex production and prototype plastic parts
- Form, fit, or functional prototypes
- Parts requiring stiffness
- Thermally stressed parts
Material Summary:
A halogen and antimony-free, flame retardant engineering plastic, suitable for Rapid Manufacturing of aerospace parts and parts requiring UL 94 V-0 compliance.
Applications:
- Aircraft parts with FAR 25.853 (non-drip) and low smoke density and toxicity requirements
- Aircraft cabin, compartment & cargo parts
- Consumer products with UL94 V-0 requirements
- Enclosures and parts for computers, business equipment and appliances
Material Summary:
- Outstanding toughness
- Excellent impact resistance
- Repeatable mechanical properties
- Easy to process
- Good powder recycling characteristics
- Offers toughness of injection-molded ABS and polypropylene
- Build prototypes that withstand aggressive functional testing
- Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
- Create accurate and repeatable parts as demanded by manufacturers
- Increase market opportunities through enhanced properties
Applications:
- Complex, thin-walled ductwork
- Motorsports
- Aerospace
- Unmanned air vehicles (UAV’s)
- Housings and enclosures
- Impellers
- Connectors
- Consumer sporting goods
- Vehicle dashboards and grilles
- Bumpers
- Snap-fit designs
- Living hinges
- Functional prototypes that require end-use performance properties
- Appropriate for low- to mid-volume rapid manufacturing
Material Summary:
- Outstanding toughness
- Excellent impact resistance
- Repeatable mechanical properties
- Easy to process
- Good powder recycling characteristics
- Offers toughness of injection-molded ABS and polypropylene
- Build prototypes that withstand aggressive functional testing
- Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
- Create accurate and repeatable parts as demanded by manufacturers
- Increase market opportunities through enhanced properties
Applications:
- Complex, thin-walled ductwork
- Motorsports
- Aerospace
- Unmanned air vehicles (UAV’s)
- Housings and enclosures
- Impellers
- Connectors
- Consumer sporting goods
- Vehicle dashboards and grilles
- Bumpers
- Snap-fit designs
- Living hinges
- Functional prototypes that require end-use performance properties
- Appropriate for low- to mid-volume rapid manufacturing
Material Summary:
- Durable with good tear resistance
- Vary Shore A hardness without changing material
- Easy-to-process
- Good powder recycle characteristics
- Good surface finish and feature detail
- Withstands repeated bending and flexing
- Build prototypes that withstand functional testing
- Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
- DuraForm® FlexSeal infiltration offers array of colors
- Polyurethane infiltration creates watertight barrier and improves burst strength
Applications:
- Athletic footwear and equipment
- Gaskets, hoses and seals
- Simulate thermoplastic elastomer, cast
- urethane, silicone and rubber parts
- “Soft-touch,” overmolded grips
- Parts requiring rubber-like flexibility and durability
- Form, fit, or functional prototypes
- Parts that require joining with adhesives
- Complex production and prototype plastic parts
- Appropriate for low- to mid-volume rapid manufacturing
Material Summary:
- Functions like foundry wax and is “foundry friendly”
- Low residual ash content (less than 0.02%)
- Short burnout cycle
- Easy-to-process plastic
- Good plastic powder recycle characteristics
- Create complex patterns without welds or joints
- Reduce lead times resulting in faster time-to market
- Compatible with autoclaves, low-temperature furnaces, and vacuum plaster casting methods
- Easy to assemble and repair patterns
- Rapidly test new designs in iterative process
Applications:
- Create patterns directly rather than through indirect methods
- Complex investment casting patterns
- Reactive metals like titanium
- Low melt-temperature metals such as aluminum, magnesium and zinc
- Ferrous and non-ferrous metals
- Economic, low-volume production castings without tooling
- Smaller parts can be joined to create very large patterns
- Sacrificial, expendable patterns
