Development of IN-SITU thermal monitoring system for selective laser sintering to evaluate nesting design

Abstract

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technique is an additive manufacturing process that enables the production of parts using thermoplastic powder raw material. SLS method is preferred in many sectors for the production of functional prototypes and when low number of end-use products are desired. In this process, where the interaction of thermoplastic powder raw material with temperature is very important, a lot of information about the process and the part can be obtained by thermal imaging. In some previous studies, the effects of process parameters and part geometry on process temperatures have been examined. However, the effects of the distance between the parts used in the production plan on the powder and the parts in production have not been studied extensively. To answer that need, in this thesis, the temperatures of the parts in the process were measured by using thermal imaging; bending tests and DSC tests of polyamide 12 (PA12) with glass spheres were carried out. Unlike thermal imaging systems used in previous studies, a new in-situ measurement system was developed that can be used without disrupting the structure of the SLS machine. It was observed that the distance between the parts as a function of the wall thickness of the part, effect the properties of the powder and the part itself