The perfect solution for material research
Laser sintering technology allows printing extremely durable and highly detailed objects
Selective laser sintering (SLS) technology enables printing complex objects with an exceptionally high degree in freedom of form. Even movable parts can be produced. Printed polymer objects are highly resilient, temperature-resistant and perfect for long-term use. SLS technology is particularly suitable for the production of functional prototypes and conducting pilot studies.
Here’s a overview of the most common 3D printing technologies:
| SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) | SLA (Stereolithography) | FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of form | Yes | No | No |
| Ability to build without Support Structures | Yes | No | No |
| Printing Movable Parts | Yes | No | No |
| Raw Material | Powder | Liquid | Filament |
| UV Resistance | Yes | No | Yes |
| Resolution |
High |
Very High |
Low |
| Mechanical Machinability |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Temperature Resistance |
High |
Low |
High |
| Durability |
Solid and very durable |
Fragile |
Durable |
| Best Suited for | - Functional parts with high complexity - Durable use - Industrial rapid prototyping | - Parts with low complexity - Models without mechanical abilities | - Parts with low complexity - Cheap parts - Home usage |
In short: SLS technology offers high-quality printing results for durable use at affordable cost.
Open parameters – perfect for material research and application development
How it works
At the beginning of the sintering process, the material is being heated up to a temperature close to its melting point. During the sintering process, the laser is melting layer by layer and thereby creating a 3D object.
Open parameter software “Sintratec Central”
At the beginning of a new sintering process, the Sintratec Kit allows the user to adjust all important parameters. This will affect the sintering process in many ways and enables controlling the result of the prints out of Sintratec powder materials. Moreover, users can do research with different materials as well as create new material combinations by themselves.
Following parameters can be adjusted:
Layer Size: 50 – 150 Micrometer
The layer size defines the amount of material being sintered at a time. The Software lets the user freely choose the size of the layer.
The layer size affects the end product in multiple ways:
- Temperature (a higher layer size needs more power to heat up)
- Aliasing / Fineness of the End Product (a smaller layer size results in a better resolution in the print)
- Durability (a smaller layer size will sinter more constant and therefore the result is better)
Temperature of Inner Cabin: 0 – 150 °C
The temperature of the inner cabin of the 3D printer can be adjusted between 0 and 150 °C. The process temperature will be consistently applied and monitored. Normally, the temperature is below the surface temperature ((of what?)), so the powder material can be heated up faster.
Temperature of Surface: 0 - 180 °C
The temperature at the material surface will be consistently applied and monitored. It is normally below the sintering temperature, so the laser can heat up the material consuming less energy. The precise control of the melting point leads to high accurate prints of any material.
Laser Speed: 1 – 750 mm/s
The laser speed does affect the grade of the absorbed heat from the laser into the material. This affects material properties like density and fusing.
Besides the official Sintratec materials Sintratec PA12 and Sintratec TPE, selective laser sintering can be used for sintering any other temperature-sensitive material. The technology offers a great potential for the development of new materials.
Award-winning use case
FabRx is the world’s first research group using 3D printing technology to produce customized medical pills. The goal of the british company is to make medical pills more appropriate to various patient groups, particularly the young and the elder people, and to facilitate the compliance of treatments. As the Sintratec SLS technology is using powder materials to form complex 3D objects, it is particularly suitable for this application. Medical pills containing almost any drug compound can be printed successfully in different variations.
«The Sintratec Kit allows us a whole new approach to the development of new medication. After surprising print results we recently bought a second Sintratec Kit!», says Fabrizio Fina from FabRx. The stunning works of FabRx were published in the “International journal of Pharmaceutics“. In 2017 the company won the TCT Start Up Award with this innovative project.
The picture shows Paracetamol pills printed with the Sintratec Kit. ((besser als Bildlegende machen))
To print such types of pills, specific parameter settings of the 3D printer are required. Parameters like laser speed or material temperature can be finely adjusted with the Sintratec Kit. This advantage made FabRx to exactly meet their needs. Without this option, the drug and the excipients of the british user would degrade.
Generally, 3D printed pills containing almost any drug compound can be produced in different shapes, sizes, colors and various textures. By that, pills are more fitting to specific patient groups (in particular the young and elderly patients) facilitating treatment compliance ((OK?)) and dose.
Sintratec Kit – The perfect introduction to the world of selective laser sintering
A great opportunity: Sintratec Kit users learn how SLS 3D printing technology works by assembling their own printer by themselves. The assembly process of the Sintratec Kit takes approximately four days (for one person). Customers are free to replace printer parts or enhance it ((???)) to meet their needs in order to allow further development.
Price: 4’990 € *
The Sintratec Kit runs on 110 or 230 V and offers a maximum print volume of 110 x 110 x 110 mm (recommended volume: 90 x 90 x 90 mm).
* The price can vary depending on the country.