Abstract
Selective laser sintering (SLS) using resin-coated stainless steel powder has recently been developed in the area of direct metal tooling. Improvements in the strength and dimensional accuracy of parts have let us to investigate the influence of parameters such as laser power, scan speed and scan spacing. It is also important to obtain a knowledge of the fundamentals of furnace sintering and metal infiltration. In the case of the use of bronze as an infiltrant, the temperature profile, holding time, and the arrangement of tabs have been successfully determined in the present study. The replacement of RapidSteel 2.0 by LaserForm ST100 in metal layer sintering by the SLS method has attracted much attention from industrial users. The present paper also discusses differences in the sintering characteristics of these two materials. When bronze is infiltrated at 1040°C the ST100 object has a tensile strength of 537 MPa, which is 21.1% lower than that of the RS2 part.
