In selective laser melting, the material to be processed is applied in powder form in a thin layer onto a base plate.
Subsequently, a laser beam locally processes the bed, causing the powder layer to melt and solidify, forming a solid material layer.
Step by step, the printer lowers the base plate by the amount of a layer thickness and applies new powder. This cycle is repeated until all part layers are completed.
The finished part is post-processed and cleaned of excess powder.
The typical layer thicknesses for the part construction range between 15 and 500 µm, depending on the material and geometry.
The data for guiding the laser beam is generated by software from a 3D CAD model. In the first calculation step, the part is divided into individual layers. In the second step, paths are generated for each layer, along which the laser beam finally travels.
To prevent oxidation of the material with oxygen, the process takes place in a protective gas atmosphere with argon or nitrogen, similar to shielded gas welding.
Parts produced by selective laser melting are characterized by high specific densities (> 99%). This ensures that the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy are close to those of injection-molded parts.
Compared to conventional processes (casting), laser melting is characterized by the absence of tools or molds (formless manufacturing).
Therefore, parts manufactured using this process are suitable for prototypes and small series.
Another advantage is the high degree of geometric freedom, which allows the production of part shapes that would not be possible or would be very difficult to achieve with form-bound processes.
Cart (0)