Process using photosensitive powders sintered by a laser that traces the parts cross sectional geometry layer by layer.
A rapid prototyping technology in which powders are fused layerwise by a laser. The technology produces accurate parts and models in engineering polymers, metals and polymer-coated sand for casting applications. Speed is similar to stereolithography, but material selection is wider.
Similar to stereolithography, but metal droplets and other materials can be used to fabricate a part.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS, a registered trademark of 3 D Systems, Inc.http://www.3dsystems.com) is an additive rapid manufacturing technique that uses a high power laser (for example, a carbon dioxide laser) to fuse small particles of plastic, metal, or ceramic powders into a mass representing a desired 3-dimensional object. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3-D digital description of the part (e.g. from a CAD file or scan data) on the surface of a powder bed. After each cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.