SLS 3D printers in the consumer market in 2016

SLS (selective laser sintering) - selective laser sintering, this is a completely new technology on the market for compact 3D-farbing, since it was previously used only on an industrial scale.



The essence of the technology is in the laser heating of the material, which is applied in layers in powder form. The powder particles are sintered under the action of high temperature and form a single whole.

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SLS 3D printers compare favorably with 3D printers using other bulk printing technologies. In particular, SLS exceeds the most common FDM 3D printers in print speed and resolution, which in SLS is limited only by the diameter of the laser beam and the size of the powder particles, whereas in FDM it is firmly tied to the size of the extruder nozzle.









Why is this interesting?



Products that are created with the help of SLS , have more detail, increased strength, require much less post-processing or do not require it at all, depending on their purpose. When creating three-dimensional objects, various materials are available, many of which are represented on the market in the form of a suitable powder for this purpose.



Another advantage of this technology is more convenient design, during which no extra parts are needed to support the model during construction and it is possible to create complex objects: unrelated elements, for example, moving parts, one inside the other, and functioning mechanisms .







Where was all this before?







Previously, this technology was used only in the professional field, because it required complicated installation and configuration equipment, which was not a little big, and cost accordingly, and the power grid required far from domestic, and could not function without constant qualified service.



Now there are serial models, adapted for use, including non-professionals. Yes, and they are no longer such fabulous money, firstly, by minimizing the size, and secondly - because the patent restrictions on the use of many technologies have finally run out.



So, for example: young inventor Lukas Hoppe from the German city of Bremen, who started collecting his You-SLS more than a year ago and created a project for this device on IndieGoGo, claims that the 3D printer he developed will cost only about two thousand euros, while possessing all basic functions and features of an industrial SLS printer.



This is achieved by Lucas in a proven way - using the maximum number of commonly available standard components and free software. So, the unit is controlled by the very common and popular Arduino and Ramps boards in the electronics amateurs environment, and expensive industrial lasers are replaced by a pair of two watts, with a wavelength of 445 nanometers, such as those used in Blu-Ray players. This was achieved due to the fact that the object chamber of the apparatus has its own heating, and the lasers need to get only 10 degrees of difference to the melting point of the working material.



The same heating system solves another problem faced by the developers of such printers - it prevents the product from becoming deformed during printing.



High temperatures could be a problem for lasers and electronics, but this complexity was elegantly solved by the fact that the hot and cold parts of the printer are located in two separate enclosures attached one to another.



The external dimensions of the You-SLS are 90 x 50 x 55 cm, and the size of the printed object reaches 20x15x10 cm.



Sinterit, founded by Google Paul Szczurekis and Konrad Głowackiis in collaboration with young engineer Mike Grzymała Moszczyński, presented the affordable and compact SLS 3D printer Sinterit Lisa , made in the best traditions of industrial design, starting at $ 8,000.







The Sinterit Lisa printhead is equipped with a 5 W laser that bakes layers from 0.06 to 0.15 mm, which are indistinguishable with the naked eye. The size of the created products - up to 13x17x13 centimeters, print speed - 15 mm / hour. It should be borne in mind that this is the vertical speed at which several objects can be created in the work area - how much space is enough.



The dimensions of the apparatus itself are 65 x 55 x 40 cm, which is quite a bit compared to industrial designs.



Similar, though not quite the same, characteristics of the Swiss Sintratec Kit worth 4999 euros.







Like its "colleagues in the shop", Sintratec started on crowdfunding platforms, and has now gone into mass production. Like the previous instance, this device is positioned as a desktop, has the appropriate design and dimensions. It is even slightly smaller than the Sinterit shown above: only 55 x 53 x 36 centimeters, against 65 x 55 x 40 y.



The design includes a 500-watt optical heater, a 1200-watt thermal coil and a 2300 microwatt laser head operating at 70 mm / s.



The size of printed objects is up to 11 x 11 x 11 cm.



Sintratec also releases the S1 model. This model has a print area of ​​150 x 150 x 200 mm and produces parts of high resolution, strength and thermal stability. The 3D printer is compact enough and ready for use immediately after purchase. The launch of the series is expected in the first half of 2016.







Perspectives



The prospects for the use of SLS are the broadest, aided by the impressive technical characteristics of the printers themselves and, accordingly, of what they do.

For business, it's just a gold mine:

prototyping, for example - for designers and manufacturers of accessories;

the creation of souvenirs of any shape - charms, photo frames, figurines, 3D portraits, whatever;

end functional objects;

master models for casting plastics in silicone

In the personal use of the SLS 3D printer opens up almost endless possibilities for creativity, and you can not describe everything in such a short article. Such a miracle machine will especially appeal to engineers and inventors who will have the opportunity to see, touch and try in action any of their ideas.



The emergence of mass-produced and compact SLS 3D printers in the free market is a big step towards freedom of expression.



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