Rapid Prototyping by Selective CO2 Laser Sintering Using Bronze Powder

초록

A prototying process based on the technique of selective CO2 laser sintering has been carried out using bronze powder. The integration of a CO2 laser and a working table to create the opto-mechanical system has been constructed for making the multi-layer sintering. Three dimensional rapid prototyping process has been investigated experimentally using 40W CO2 laser. The optimal scanning method has been found to minimize the deflection and distortion by using the thermal strain method which the laser scans in x and y directions repeatedly. The method of spreading powder has been improved by the rubber knife of which the flexibility causes fewer waves on the surface.