Learning About SLS Technology

Selective Laser Sintering is a proven powder bed fusion process that produces durable, functional parts for demanding applications. Because the surrounding powder supports the geometry, no support structures are required, which opens up design freedom for channels, lattices, and other complex features.

What sets our service apart is not just the process itself but the experience behind it. With over 30 years working in advanced manufacturing and additive technologies, we understand how to take full advantage of SLS. That expertise means more than running a machine. It means knowing how to prepare files, orient parts, control heat, and process unique parameters for each material.

Our customers rely on us for rapid prototypes, production applications, and end-use parts that meet strict standards across automotive, medical, aerospace, and consumer industries. We have the knowledge to balance speed, cost, and performance, ensuring every build is consistent and repeatable.

SLS is not a push-button solution. It requires process insight, calibration, and ongoing validation. With decades of hands-on experience, we deliver the precision, surface quality, and reliability that turn SLS from a technology into a true production method.

Selective Laser Sintering is a layer-by-layer process that turns fine powder into solid parts. The build starts with a thin layer of polymer powder spread across a heated chamber. The surface is kept just below the melting point of the material.

A scanning laser then traces the cross section of the part on that layer. Where the beam hits, the powder fuses into a solid mass. The machine lowers the build piston by one layer height, usually between 0.08 and 0.12 millimeters, and another layer of powder is spread across the bed. The laser repeats the scan, bonding each new layer to the one below it.

Unfused powder stays in place around the part, supporting walls, channels, and overhangs. This makes it possible to print complex features without dedicated supports. When the build is finished, the chamber cools in place to reduce stress and warpage. The loose powder is then removed, and the solid parts are cleaned and prepared for finishing.

Because the process relies on tight control of heat and laser energy, settings such as scan speed, scan spacing, and bed temperature must be carefully tuned. Proper calibration ensures strong bonding, consistent size, and repeatable properties. This balance of precision and thermal management is what gives SLS its ability to produce durable, accurate parts with complex geometry.