Laser Sintering Powders - Manufacturing of complex and durable components
The laser sintering process, also known as selective laser sintering (SLS), is an additive manufacturing process in which powdered materials are processed layer by layer into a three-dimensional object using a powerful laser. This enables the production of functional and durable components with complex geometries that would be difficult or impossible to realize using conventional manufacturing methods.
Steps of the laser-sintering process:
- A layer of powder material is filled into the powder bed.
- The high-precision laser is directed at the powder according to the design data in order to fuse and consolidate individual areas.
- Layer by layer, the 3D printed model is created.
- After removing the excess powder, the finished component is obtained.
Different materials such as polymers and metals can be used for the laser-sintering process. The choice of material depends heavily on the specific requirements of the components to be produced.
Materials in the laser-sintering process:
- Polyamides: A commonly used polyamide is nylon 12, which is used for various applications in 3D printing due to its high strength, toughness and chemical resistance.
- Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE): TPE materials are particularly known for their elastic properties at room temperature. They enable the production of rubber-like components such as seals, hoses and handles that require high elasticity. TPE materials consist of a mixture of plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and rubber, resulting in an elastic material with thermoplastic properties.
- Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU): Like TPE, TPU can have different degrees of hardness. Compared to TPE, TPU has higher strength, abrasion resistance and retains its elastic properties even at low temperatures. TPU materials are often used for components with high flexibility and shock absorption, such as shoe soles.
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Addigy Powders
Addigy P1210
P1210 is the the ultimate solution for elevated temperature performance in a wide range of applications. This advanced material offers higher thermal resistance over PA12 and PA11, ensuring reliability in demanding environments. With superior stiffness compared to PA12 and PA11, the P1210 provides exceptional structural integrity for your designs. Additionally, it features flame retardancy and stable electrical properties due to low moisture absorption, making it the perfect choice for applications requiring electrical insulation. Moreover it exhibits an impressive reuse rate of >60%, resulting in less waste.
Addigy P3001 (TPC)
P3001 is a high-quality material that has been developed for a wide range of applications such as shoe midsoles and insoles, as well as protective equipment such as sports protectors, saddles, grips, gaskets and soft-touch components. The innovative material has the highest elastic rebound of 76% and the widest thermal application range. It is also resistant to oil and grease. P3001 is certified to ISO10993-5 for cytotoxicity and ISO10993-0 for skin irritation and sensitization. It also meets the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, further underlining its reliability and suitability for a wide range of products.
Addigy PPU 83AX1 (TPU)
PPU 83AX1, a high-performance polyurethane (PPU) designed for various applications such as orthopedic insoles, footwear, sports, and leisure products is a flexible material with excellent elongation at break, making it ideal for products that require flexibility and resilience. With a Shore hardness of 83A and an outstanding abrasion resistance, the PA 83AX1 is ensures durability and longevity for your products.
Addigy PPU 86AW6 (TPU)
PPU 86AW6, a versatile material tailored for a range of applications including automotive interior components, industrial end-use parts, and sports goods. This advanced polyurethane offers excellent UV resistance and hydrolysis resistance, ensuring durability and longevity in challenging environments. Also under low temperatures the PPU 86AW6 maintains good mechanical performance. Additionally, it is easy to post-process, allowing for efficient manufacturing and customization.
Addigy PPU 90AX6 (TPU)
The PPU 90AX6, is a high-performance polyurethane (PPU) which is designed for various applications including orthopedic insoles, footwear, sport, and leisure. This flexible material, with a shore hardness of 90A, exhibits an excellent elongation at break, making it ideal for products that require flexibility and resilience. It offers outstanding abrasion resistance, ensuring durability and longevity for your products.
ALM Powders
Unfilled Nylon 12
PA 650-B
With increased recyclability over other comparable unfilled nylon 12 materials, PA650-B produces parts with excellent detail and a clean black surface. It is often used for the production of prototypes that require durability, accuracy and end-use functionality or for thin-walled ducting components. Ideal for low to mid-volume rapid
prototyping and manufacturing.
PA 650
This unfilled nylon 12 material is approved biocompatible, easy to process and easy to recycle. PA 650 can be used to produce components with a clean white surface finish. PA 650 is often used for applications in the aerospace, automotive, lifestyle and medical sectors. It is also suitable for thin-walled duct components, consumer and sporting goods.
PA 250
A nylon 12 powder with the smoothest surface finish and excellent fine feature resolution. PA250 is stabilised against thermal degradation for superior recyclability (refresh rate 15-25%). It is used for prosthetic medical devices, ducts, enclosures, connector assemblies and in general for high detailed production parts.
Filled Nylon 12
PA 614-GS
PA 614-GS is a nylon 12 filled with 40% glass particles for a higher detailed surface finish. It is characterized by excellent stiffness and mechanical properties and is also long term wear resistant. PA 614-GS is used for automotive engine components, mold and tooling applications. It is ideal for components that require precision, robustness and rigidity at high temperatures.
PA 616-GS
Compared to the PA 614-GS is PA 616-GS a nylon 12 filled with 50% glass particles for a higher detailed surface finish. It is characterized by excellent stiffness and mechanical properties. PA 614-GS is used for automotive engine components, mold and tooling applications. It is ideal for components that require accuracy and feature resolution as well as stiffness at elevated temperatures.
PA 640-GSL
A newly developed, glass sphere filled nylon12 with excellent strength to weight ratio properties and a dark gray appearance. Requiring 10% less material per build, PA 640-GLS is moreover cost-effetive. Ideal for applications requiring a balance of strength and lighter weight without sacrificing dimensional stability and surface finish like aerospace/UAV components, athletic equipment, motor sports and racing.
PA 605-A
A 50% aluminium filled nylon 12 with excellent strength and surface feature detail, good dimensional stability and heat transfer characteristics. Print parts made of PA 605-A have a metallic gray surface finish that has the appearance of cast aluminum. It is used for wind tunnel models and components as well as automotive under hood mechanisms, rapid tooling and fixtures.
PA 620-MF
A white, mineral-filled nylon 12 material providing anisotropic mechanical properties, with high stiffness for load bearing applications. PA 620-MF is ideal for low to mid production parts requiring stiffness and durability at elevated temperatures like housings, enclosures, aerospace and motor sports components.
PA 618-GSB Black
A black Nylon 12 material filled with 50% glass with excellent stiffness at elevated temperatures and mechanical properties. It has increased recyclability over other commerical glass filles LS materials and is often used for complex geometries requiring accuracy and feature resolution.
PA 615-GSB
A 50% glass-filled, black nylon 12 with tightly controlled particle size for higher-detailed surface finish. Parts exhibit excellent stiffness and mechanical properties. PA 615-GSB has an increased recyclability over other commercial glass filled LS materials and is ideal for rugged applications requiring stiffness at elevated temperatures like automotive engine components, mold and tooling applications
PA 617-GS
PA 617-GS is a 50% glass-filled black Nylon 12, which is ideal for the production of complex geometries requiring accuracy and feature resolution. It is for example used for Automotive engine components.
PA 602-CF
PA 602-CF is a dark grey carbon fibre filled Nylon 12 material which is ideal for applications requiring good dimensional stability and sustainable accuracy at elevated temperatures. Parts produced with PA 602-CF has a high detailed surface finish and small feature resolution. Applications are under hood engine components, wind tunnel prototypes and models.
PA 603-CF
PA 603-CF is, as the name suggests, a nylon 12 filled with carbon fiber. Components made of PA 603-CF have a deep black surface finish. The material also withstands high temperatures in terms of deformation and is also characterized by very good mechanical properties. PA 603-CF is often used for applications that require high rigidity and heat resistance. These include racing applications such as model tests in wind tunnels.
Unfilled Nylon 11
PA D80
An economical nylon 11 material providing parts that can withstand intense functional testing and which are stabilized against thermal degradation to reduce oxidization of sintered parts. PA D80 parts are approved for end-use production applications. It is ideal for low to mid volume production applications and suitable for complex thin wall geometries requiring strength and accuracy. PA D80 is used in automotive and areospace production.
PA 850 Black
Produces parts with a true matt black surface finish, offering excellent fine detail resolution for thin walled parts. PA 850 Black is Ideal for applications requiring rigorous fuctionality and testing. Typical applications are cleated footwear devices, automotive housings, enclosures and connectors.
PA 860 Natural
A white nylon 11 formulated for easy processing, producing parts with outstanding mechanical properties, without the need to double scan. PA 860 Natural is used for cleated footwear devices, highly functional end use parts, automotive housings, enclosures and connectors.
PA D80-ST
A colour and thermal degradation stabilised nylon 11 material. Parts produced exhibit superior mechanical properties and are approved for end-use production applications. PA D80-ST is ideal for low to mid volume production applications.
Filled Nylon 11
PA 803-CF
Melt mixed black carbon fiber filled nylon 11. Benefits include good dimensional stability, high tensile modulus, and a high heat deflection temperature. Print parts have superior stiffness and mechanical properties with an alluring black detailed surface finish. PA 803-CF has excellent resistance to warping at elevated temperatures. It is used for high impact sports equipment, high performance racing applications and wind tunnel model testing.
PA 815-GS
PA 815-GS is an off-white, 50% glass sphere filled nylon 11 powder. It is a functional replacement for glass-filled nylon 12.
PA 820-MF
A mineral fibre-filled nylon 11 combining high strength with stiffness and a high deflection temperature. Print Parts have excellent stiffness and mechanical properties as well as a higher temperature tolerance
compared to standard nylon 12. PA 820-MF is used for automotive engine components, mold and tooling applications as well as high performance motorsports and outdoor recreation.
PA 802-CF
Emulates the mechanical properties of carbon fibre. Benefits include good dimensional stability, high tensile modulus, and a high heat deflection temperature. Parts produce have an alluring black detailed surface finish. The Material is ideal for outdoor applications requiring strength and toughness like sports equipment, racing applications and als for wind tunnel model testing.
HP 11-30
Melt compounded carbon fibre-filled PA 11. Melt compounding allows the carbon fibres to orientate in the X, Y and Z direction, so the properties are basically the same in all directions. Well suited to applications which require superior thermal properties, with maximum performance and consistent properties in X,Y and Z dimensions.
PA 840-GSL
PA-840-GSL-Black is a lightweight composite material with a density of 0.86. It has reduced monomer outgassing compared to other nylon 11 and an excellent surface finish and detail. It is often used for Aerospace/UAV components, rugged outdoor use as well as for applications in motor sports and racing.
PA 815-GSB
This Black, 50% glass filled nylon 11 produces parts that exhibit excellent stiffness and mechanical properties great for mold and tooling applications or automotive engine components.
PA 830-ESD12
An electrostatically dissipative Nylon 11 without carbon fibre, the material is based on a PA11 with conductive graphite and produces parts with high stiffness, high tensile strength and excellent surface finish. It is easy to machine, less abrasive and has an excellent surface finish. PA-830-ESD12 is ideal for electronic products.
Nylon 6 High Temperature
PA 703-CF
A carbon fibre-filled nylon 6 material with excellent mechanical properties and a higher temperature tolerance compared to standard nylon 12 materials. PA-703-CF has a higher temperature tolerance compared to standard nylon 12. It is used for automotive engine components, motorsports, mold and tooling.
Fire Retardant
PA 606-FR
PA-606-FR is a fire retardant nylon 12 that meets 12 and 60 second burn, smoke and toxicity specifications. The material produces accurate, repeatable parts for prototyping and manufacturing applications. It is used for aerospace and automotive ducts, snap fit components and multi-sectional bonding requirements.
Fire Retardant Performance
PA 106-FR
A nylon 11 material approved to FAR 25.853 for parts that exhibit superior mechanical properties with high levels of fire retardancy. FR-106 is certified to pass the FAR 25.853 60 second vertical burn requirement. Print parts withstand intense functional testing and are approved for end-use production applications.
PA 109-FR
A paintable grade fire retardant nylon 11, certified to pass the FAR 25.853 60-second vertical burn requirement. The Fire retardancy is increased to overcome flammability of certain paints. The print parts are approved for end-use production applications. PA-FR-109 is used for automotive and aerospace production, housing and enclosure assemblies.
High Temperature
HT-23
Melt compounded Carbon Fiber filled PEKK with a high melt point and chemical resistance. HT-23 is well suited to applications which require superior thermal properties, with maximum performance and consistent properties in X,Y and Z dimensions.
Thermoplastics
TPE 210-S
A thermoplastic elastomer for white rubber-like parts with extreme elongations without permanent deformation. Infiltration with a PU will impart toughness and abrasion resistance. TPE-210-S is 100% recyclable and ideal for applications requiring softer parts with excellent ductility and surface finish like footwear prototyping and automotive gaskets and seals.
TPE 360
TPE-360 is ideal for applications requiring softer parts with excellent ductility and surface finish. The white material is 100% recyclable and easy to process. The print parts exhibit oughness and Flexibility. It is used for footwear, cushioning applications and automotive gaskets and seals.
TPE 300
TPE-300 is 100% recyclable and produces soft, white parts and achieve extreme elongations without permanent deformation. Easy to infiltrate to obtain maximum properties. It is ideal for applications requiring softer parts with excellent ductility and surface finish like footwear prototyping.
PP 400
PP-400 offers superior mechanical properties like great elasticity and thoughness, high electrial and fatigue reistance in comparison to other options currently available on the market. Particularly, this material offers a 50% elongation of break, providing better impact resistance for use in dynamic environments and an excellent recyclability. It is used for automotive applications, lifestyle applications and living hinges.
Investment Casting
PS 200
PS-200 is a non-spherical polystyrene powder with a very low density and ash content. It is ideal for casting applications with low melt temperature metals. PS-200 can be used as a replacement for Castform®, or can be blended with Castform®. The material is compatible with standard foundry processes and practices and is 100% recyclable. It is used for complex investment casting patterns, automotive and marine components, mold and rapid tooling applications.