Effect of section thickness and build orientation on tensile properties and material characteristics of laser sintered nylon-12 parts

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe work carried out as part of a 350,000 project aimed at improving understanding of polymer sintering processes. This particular package of research was performed in order to identify the effects of different section thicknesses (and therefore different thermal conditions) in parts produced by laser sintering (LS), on the resultant mechanical properties of these parts. Design/methodology/approach - Laser sintered nylon-12 parts were produced in a range of thicknesses between 2 and 6 mm, and in three different orientations, to identify the effects of each on the tensile properties of these parts. Findings - Results indicated that, at any of the orientations tested, the section thickness had no significant effect on any of the main tensile properties, or on the repeatability of these properties. Crucially, this is in direct contradiction with the trends identified previously in this project, whereby changes in section thickness have been shown to correlate with changes in fracture toughness. Research limitations/implications - Further work could investigate a wider range of section thicknesses or geometries, in order to continue building a more complete picture of the effects of geometry on laser sintered part properties. Practical implications These results are directly applicable to designers using, or wishing to use, LS to manufacture their products. Originality/value - Whilst there is a large range of published literature on the effects of processing parameters on mechanical properties of laser sintered parts, and on the resolution and accuracy achievable with these, there is minimal information available on the effects of geometry on mechanical properties. This paper therefore represents a novel addition to the global LS knowledge base.