Metal sintering: what is it?
Metal sintering is a machining process that allows the production of mechanical parts in aluminium, stainless steel AISI 316L and other special alloys. The grains of powder are welded together at high temperature: layer after layer the powders are melted by the laser beam allowing the realization of strong mechanical components, and the components are suitable for post-processing such as milling, CNC turning, heat treatments, surface treatments both aesthetic and protective.
The technique succeeds in forming a part that for some simple shapes may not require further processing. It is used to produce materials with special properties that they would not have if they were created using other techniques.
DMLS/SLM and other materials: a complete overview for metal sintering
The company’s focus is in the application of Additive Manufacturing through the use of highly specialized 3D Laser Sintering machines for metal powders (from EOS GmbH).
It is that dividing line between the present and the future of industrial manufacturing: unlike conventional or subtractive manufacturing processes, additive manufacturing builds a part using a layer-by-layer process directly from a digital model, without the use of molds or dies.
The laser source is capable of melting the metal powder, draws layer upon layer of the model loaded from CAD files, until the desired object is obtained. The products obtained in this way have mechanical properties comparable to products obtained by classical subtractive process with a high degree of precision. The process uses a high-precision laser and is directed at metal powder particles to selectively build up thin, successive horizontal metal layers. The metal powder particles melt so that the new material attaches properly to the previous layer without glue or bonding liquid.
