Pre-processing studies for selective laser sintering of glass beads-filled polyamide 12 composites

The paper provides the background needed on the investigation of mechanical properties and geometric accuracy of glass bead filled polyamide 12 composites. It introduces the topic of determination of material and process parameters, describes the pre-processing studies required and methods used, and reviews the factors influencing the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. A series of experiments aimed at achieving this goal, focusing on the mechanical properties and geometric accuracy of selective laser sintered composite samples, are described in this paper. A DTM system (Sinterstation 2000 machine) was used for conducting experiments. The main focus is on polyamide 12 filled with hard (coated and uncoated) inorganic glass particles. Optical Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy were used for characterising the powder material and the resulting sintered parts. The optimal parameters for selective laser sintering of the composites were experimentally determined.