Laser micro sintering of ceramic materials, part 1

Abstract

Laser Micro Sintering, a generative freeform fabrication technology, was developed as a modification of Selective Laser Sintering in 2002. It owes its unique features mainly to the low grain size of the powder feedstock and a special laser regime. Soon after the first successes with metal powder, endeavours were made to apply the technique onto ceramic materials. However, due to the differences in structure and electronic configuration, the observed principles of laser-material interaction can be transferred from metal to ceramics only to a very limited extent. Results with alumina/silica, SiC and SiO as respective representatives of oxide, non-oxide and sub-oxide ceramic feedstocks are presented, and hypothesized process mechanisms are explained.