Characterization of an aluminum-filled polyamide powder for applications in selective laser sintering

Solid free-form fabrication (SFF) techniques use layer-based manufacturing to create physical objects directly from computer-gene rated models. Using an additive approach to manufacture shapes, SFF systems join liquid, powder or sheet materials. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a SFF technique by which parts are built layer-by-layer offering the key advantage of the direct manufacturing of functional parts. In SLS, a laser beam is traced over the surface of a tightly compacted powder made of thermoplastic material. In this paper is characterized a new aluminum-filled polyamide powder developed for applications in SLS. This material is promising for many applications that require a metallic look of the part, good finishing properties, high stiffness and higher part quality. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.