Selective laser sintering and cladding of single‐component metal powders

Nikolay K. Tolochko (Institute of Technical Acoustics, National Academy of Sciences at Belarus, Belarus)

Sergei E. Mozzharov (Institute of Technical Acoustics, National Academy of Sciences at Belarus, Belarus)

Igor A. Yadroitsev (Institute of Technical Acoustics, National Academy of Sciences at Belarus, Belarus)

Tahar Laoui (University of Wolverhampton, UK)

Ludo Froyen (University of Leuven, Belgium)

Victor I. Titov (Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow)

Michail B. Ignatiev (Institute de Science et des Materiaux, France)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Publication date: 1 April 2004

Abstract

A comparison of selective laser sintering (SLS) and selective laser cladding (SLC) methods is presented. Loose single‐component, Ni‐alloy powder was used in this study. The powder feeding system formed the flow of powder particles directed into the zone of laser spot. The particles were deposited directly onto a substrate or onto the top of a pedestal. The powders were treated with a CW‐ Nd:YAG laser (λ=1.06 μm). The beam was motionless relative to the powder bed. As a result, the samples of sintered or remelted powders were built up as the vertical rods. The geometrical characteristics, structure and mechanical properties of samples were investigated.