{"id":164158,"date":"2021-12-06T10:59:39","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T02:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=164158"},"modified":"2022-08-12T17:28:47","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T09:28:47","slug":"sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","title":{"rendered":"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We’ll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it’s utilized.<\/p>\n

What is SLS and How Does It Work?<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Formlabs Fuse 1 (Source: Formlabs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers make use of a laser and a thermoplastic polymer powder to build parts.\u00a0Because of the high power laser, it\u2019s generally considered more complicated than both FDM and SLA.<\/p>\n

SLS 3D printers consist of a powder bin, a build platform, a powder re-coater, a laser (either CO2, diode, or fiber), a set of galvanometers, a set of heaters, and a powder feeder.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, the printing process begins with filling the powder bin with a certain amount of polymer powder. The bin is then placed into the machine, where the heating stage begins. Before printing, heaters are used to get the powder to a temperature just below its melting point.<\/p>\n

The actual printing starts with the re-coater depositing a single layer of powder onto the build platform. That\u2019s where the CO2<\/sub>\u00a0laser comes into play. The laser\u2019s role is to selectively induce fusion between\u00a0particles to form a solid at specific locations.<\/p>\n

Galvanometers are used to navigate the laser beam to a specific point on the build platform. If you don\u2019t know what galvanometers are, think of them as tiny mirrors.<\/p>\n

The laser moves along a \u201cpoint-to-point\u201d pattern,\u00a0solidifying the whole cross-sectional area of a layer. After\u00a0the layer is complete, the re-coater deposits a new layer of powder and the build platform moves down one layer in height. The process is then repeated until the part is complete.<\/p>\n

Pros & Cons<\/h3>\n
\"\"
A close-up of a CO2 laswer fusing powder particles. Source: EOS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just as with any other 3D printing technology, SLS also has its pros and cons. The\u00a0biggest advantage of SLS is that there\u2019s no need for additional support material,\u00a0regardless of the part\u2019s geometry.<\/p>\n

As parts are built\u00a0inside the powder bin, the non-sintered powder acts as a support material to the printed part. After the part has been printed, it\u2019s left with no markings of the support material on its surface. The powder need only\u00a0be brushed away.<\/p>\n

Apart from this unique advantage, there are a few more. Because parts are built by a laser, which solidifies a cross-sectional area of each part, multiple parts can easily be printed at once. This makes SLS ideal for small manufacturing runs. The goal with\u00a0SLS printers is to fill the build area with as many prints as possible so as to\u00a0reduce the non-sintered waste powder.<\/p>\n

Having said that, it\u2019s worth mentioning that, generally speaking, 50% of the non-sintered powder can be recycled.<\/p>\n

Unlike FDM, parts printed with an SLS printer can\u2019t be used right after the print process is\u00a0complete. That\u2019s because parts must cool down, which can take a long time.<\/p>\n

The most significant disadvantage of SLS is that it requires high-end technology and a lot of power. As such, it\u2019s not quite ready to hit the consumer market.<\/p>\n

SLS For Small Business<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Rehook, a cyclist’s best friend. Source: Rehook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SLS 3D printers are ideal for small manufacturing runs as the goal of every SLS 3D print is to produce as many parts at once. This both improves the speed of manufacturing and\u00a0reduces the waste of non-sintered and non-recyclable powder.<\/p>\n

To give you an example, take a look at the above picture. What you see is a simple\u00a0bike chain hook, which allows a cyclist\u00a0to put\u00a0the chain back on\u00a0their bike without getting their hands dirty.<\/p>\n

This particular brand, called \u201cRehook\u201d, is made entirely on SLS printers. The technology can easily\u00a0produce multiple Rehooks per print, and the\u00a0strength of the polymer is\u00a0enough for the application.<\/p>\n

SLS vs SLA<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Two of the same part printed with SLS and SLA. Source: Sculpteo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In case you feel you don\u2019t yet know which to choose between SLA and SLS,\u00a0click here<\/a>\u00a0for a detailed article. It points out the main differences between\u00a0the two technologies and which of the two are the best for what.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/all3dp.com\/2\/selective-laser-sintering-sls-3d-printing-simply-explained\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We’ll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it’s utilized. What is SLS and How Does It Work? Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers make use of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"kbtopic":[45],"kbtag":[126,89,93,403],"class_list":["post-164158","kb","type-kb","status-publish","hentry","kbtopic-tech","kbtag-3d-printing","kbtag-sla","kbtag-sls","kbtag-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nSLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained - FacFox Docs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FacFox Docs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/facfox3d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-08-12T09:28:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@facfox3d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained\",\"name\":\"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained - FacFox Docs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-06T02:59:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-12T09:28:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/\",\"name\":\"FacFox Docs\",\"description\":\"Knowledgebase of manufacturing\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"FACFOX,INC.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/foxdoc-favicon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/foxdoc-favicon.png\",\"width\":132,\"height\":133,\"caption\":\"FACFOX,INC.\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/facfox3d\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/facfox3d\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/facfox3d\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained - FacFox Docs","description":"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained","og_description":"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.","og_url":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","og_site_name":"FacFox Docs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/facfox3d","article_modified_time":"2022-08-12T09:28:47+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@facfox3d","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","url":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained","name":"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained - FacFox Docs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png","datePublished":"2021-12-06T02:59:39+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-12T09:28:47+00:00","description":"Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing technology that uses a laser to fuse a thermoplastic powder to build parts. We'll explain how this technology works, discuss its pros and cons, and point out where it's utilized.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/02\/9515f682f46b9d3b.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/sls-3d-printing-selective-laser-sintering-simply-explained#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/","name":"FacFox Docs","description":"Knowledgebase of manufacturing","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#organization","name":"FACFOX,INC.","url":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/foxdoc-favicon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/foxdoc-favicon.png","width":132,"height":133,"caption":"FACFOX,INC."},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/facfox3d","https:\/\/x.com\/facfox3d","https:\/\/instagram.com\/facfox3d"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/164158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164158"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/164158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165595,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/164158\/revisions\/165595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kbtopic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kbtopic?post=164158"},{"taxonomy":"kbtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kbtag?post=164158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}