3D Printing is fast becoming popular with not just hobbyists but also businesses and inventors all over the world. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a technology widely used in the 3D printing process wherein the three dimensional object is created by fusing together several tiny plastic, glass or ceramic particles using a high-power laser. Simply put, it is the process of using powders and atomic diffusion to create objects.
The process was originally developed and patented by Carl Deckard and Joe Beaman in the 80s, who helped found Desk Top Manufacturing Corp. (DTM), one of the first 3D printing start-ups. It was sold to 3D Systems in 2001, a company that had introduced its own 3D printing method known as stereolithography.
Source:livescience.com
However, it wasn’t the first time that sintering was used when SLS was patented. It had been used for hundreds of years to develop objects such as porcelain, bricks and even jewelry. As is the case with all 3D printing methods, SLS depends heavily on computer-aided design (CAD). CAD files are first converted to the .STL format which is compatible with the printing process.
SLS is different from other methods of 3D printing in that the printed objects don’t need to be altered significantly once they come out of the SLS machine. It doesn’t require additional support to hold an object unlike other methods, making it a faster and more effective process.
SLS finds its applications in various industries, the most important one being aerospace, where it is routinely used to create airplane parts prototypes. Using SLS, prototypes are stored as .STL files which can then be modified in the future.
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