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Despite the recent progress in basic process understanding considering the selective laser sintering (SLS) of thermoplastics, several aspects of the mechanisms of the beam and powder interaction are not fully understood yet. Recent studies covered the correlation of mechanical properties and part density with the heating rate. The surface roughness of the test specimens was also considered but showed no distinct relation to the part mechanics. The purpose of this paper is to provide a new fundamental model for describing the decreasing mechanical properties with increasing beam speed.

While the dependence of mechanical properties with total energy input during exposure is well published, the correlation of the exposure speed with the degree of particle melt (DPM) is the subject of the present study. The DPM is accessible through differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Supporting the previously introduced method of the core-peak height, the interpretation via the core-peak area is proposed as a means to ascertain the melting behaviour for different processing conditions. Further support of the observations is given by x-ray computed tomography and microscopy which allows for a correlation with the respective porosity and inner structure of the parts.

The authors show a novel way of describing the decreasing mechanical properties with increasing speed of energy input by showing the dependence of the DPM on the heating rate during exposure.

The results offer an addition to the understanding considering the reliability and reproducibility of the SLS process.

The paper extends the existing models of the time-dependent material behaviour, which allows for the derivation of new efficient and stable process strategies.

The thermal history during laser exposure determines part properties in selective laser sintering (SLS). The purpose of this study is to introduce a new measurement technique based on a CO₂ laser unit combined with a high-speed DCS. A first comparison of the thermal history during laser exposure measured with Laser-high-speed-(HS)-differential scanning calorimetry-(DSC) and in SLS process is shown.

This Laser-HS-DSC allows an imitation of the SLS-process in a very small scale, as the sample is directly heated by a CO₂ laser. For this study, the laser power and the impact time is varied for determining temperature and achieved heating rates. Consequently, the temperature levels measured by the Laser-HS-DSC are compared with measurements in SLS-process.

The influence of laser power and impact time on resulting maximum temperatures und heating rates during laser exposure are investigated. With increasing laser power and impact time the maximum temperature rises up to approximately 450°C without material degradation. The heating rate increases up to an impact time of 3 ms and stays almost equal for higher durations.

The Laser-HS-DSC experiments are based on few particles limiting a complete comparison with SLS process. In SLS, one volume element is exposed several times. In this study the PA12 material was exposed only once.

For the first time, laser sintering experiments can be transferred to a laboratory scale to analyze the influence of laser exposure on resulting temperature field during laser exposure without superimposing effects.

This paper aims to assess the impact of nanotechnology on sensors. Examples of recent nanosensor developments are given and future prospects are briefly considered.