Ensuring repeatability and quality in SLS 3D printing is vital in a production environment.
If we can’t ensure high-quality parts with good dimensional accuracy, they won’t meet our customer’s needs. So, here’s how we do just that in our state-of-the-art additive manufacturing facility in Berkshire.
The Importance of Repeatability in SLS Printing
The appeal of SLS is its ability to produce complex parts quickly, with high strength-to-weight ratios, and without needing support structures. SLS materials are an excellent choice for rapid prototyping and finished products – where repeatability is key.
For most of our customers, component quality isn’t just a matter of meeting design specifications; it impacts performance, safety, and compliance. So the parts we produce must meet acceptable tolerances each and every time. As a leading additive manufacturer, here’s how we do it.
Understanding Key Variables in SLS Printing
Achieving consistency in SLS printing depends on several interrelated variables:
1. Powder Quality and Consistency
In SLS printing, polymer powder is a critical component. Variations in particle size, shape, and distribution can impact fusion quality. It can also affect wall thickness, surface quality and sometimes layer thickness.
We use the highest quality polymer powders available and regularly run tests to determine batch quality which helps to standardise our SLS machine’s outputs.
2. Laser Power and Scan Speed
Laser power and scan speed directly influence layer fusion, impacting part density, strength, and surface finish. Our engineers dial in power and speeds before the printing process begins and then make a note of these inputs in the programme. This ensures consistency in this batch of parts and every other batch we produce.
3. Temperature Control and Uniformity
Maintaining a stable thermal environment within the SLS chamber is crucial for avoiding warping and inconsistent layer adhesion which causes inaccuracies and surface roughness. We use the most advanced 3D printers in the world here at Prototal with advanced temperature sensors that monitor chamber conditions to help maintain uniformity.
4. Part Orientation and Packing Density
How parts are arranged within the build chamber can affect heat distribution and layer fusion. Before the printing process, our engineers take care to arrange parts to reduce warping, improve surface finish and maximise build efficiency. This reduces the finishing processes needed following the printing process and improves consistency.
Advanced Quality Assurance Techniques
Those are the basics of ensuring quality, repeatable prints, but we go a few steps further to ensure the parts we produce are as accurate as possible. This ensures that our parts function the same, fit the same, and most importantly have the same mechanical properties.
One of the biggest ways of ensuring that our customers’ parts come out within tolerances is using the best 3D printers in the world. These include technology that ensures predictable print conditions every time, including:
In-Situ Monitoring
By using sensors within the print chamber, we can measure layer-by-layer conditions in real time. Any discrepancies are detected and adjusted immediately, minimising scrap and rework.
Statistical Process Control (SPC)
SPC is a method of using statistical techniques to control quality during the manufacturing process. By consistently tracking variables like temperature and laser power, we can maintain quality benchmarks and adjust variables as needed for each batch.
Scaling SLS Manufacturing
As SLS technology continues to push boundaries in what’s possible in production. Yet consistency and repeatability will always remain essential. Find out how we ensure repeatability in multi-jet fusion and fused deposition modelling and the rest of the additive manufacturing services we offer, by getting in touch today.
Selective Laser Sintering has moved well beyond its roots in prototyping, making it a valuable tool for manufacturing high-quality, repeatable parts for various sectors. Need some help with your next product? Get in touch today to see why Prototal is the place to come for the best 3D printing services in the UK.