Re: laser sintering of PEEK

From: Brian Caulfield (brian.caulfield@nuigalway.ie)
Date: Wed May 28 2003 - 15:34:41 EEST


Neil,
    I have attempted to do this and I think Kwang Hui in Singapore tried
aswell. The inital results were not promising. I used a 2500 plus
Sinterstation. The problem as you said is the melt temp of the PEEK. I
heated the powder up initally and the powder did melt on the pass of the
laser but with the massive tempersture gradient between the melted PEEK and
hte surrounding unsintered PEEK it caused the layer to curl dramatically.
When the roller passed over again the solid laer would be moved by the
roller.
    I was also having difficulties with the powder sticking and clumping to
the roller which resulted in an uneven powder layer.

Brian

----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Hopkinson" <N.Hopkinson@lboro.ac.uk>
To: <rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 12:21 PM
Subject: laser sintering of PEEK

> Has anyone tried laser sintering of PEEK (melt temp~400 deg C)? Is it
> possible on a standard DTM/3D machine using higher laser powder and build
> chamber temperature?
>
> Neil
>
> Neil Hopkinson BEng(Hons) PhD CEng MIEE
> Lecturer
> Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
> Loughborough University
> LE11 3TU
> UK
>
> Tel: 01509 227529
> Fax: 01509 227549
>
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/mm/research/rapid-manufacturing/index.htm
> l
>
>
>
>
>



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