Rapid Prototyping / Lasersintermaterialien
Laser sintering is a rapid prototyping technology for primary shaping of parts without any mold or die. Feed material is a polymer, metal or ceramic powder, which is locally melted and fused by a scanned laser beam. Mean available plastic materials used for this technology are polyamides, polystyrene, and a special grade of a thermoplastic elastomer. Because the application of the laser sintering technology has been developed from prototyping to rapid manufacturing of single copies or small series, the use of commodity polymers like PE or PP is of particular interest. A field of research is the identification of material properties with strong influence on the laser sintering processability, and the modification of polypropylene with the aim to develop new polymers for laser sintering. The research is focused on blending and reactive processing of polypropylene to influence the crystallization and shrinkage behavior as well as the rheological behavior, and to improve such mechanical properties as tensile and impact strength.
Above: Laser sinter station, below: laser sintered specimens made of polypropylene
Related publications::
L. Fiedler, L.O. Garcia Correa, H.-J. Radusch, A. Wutzler, J. Gerken
Evaluation of Polypropylene Powder Grades in Consideration of Laser Sintering Processability
Zeitschrift Kunststofftechnik / Journal of Plastics Technology 3 (2007) 4, 1-14
L. Fiedler, A. Lamprecht, A. Hähndel, J. Gerken, H.-J. Radusch
Mehrkomponentige Lasersinter-Blends mit mikropartikulärer Elastomerphase
12. Problemseminar Polymermischungen, 28. und 29. März 2007, Bad Lauchstädt, P 12, Tagungsband S. 49 und CD
L. Fiedler, L.O. Garcia Correa, A. Wutzler, J. Gerken, H.-J. Radusch
Identification of Polypropylene Powder Properties with Strong Influence on the Laser Sintering Processability
Polymerwerkstoffe 2006, 27.-29.09.2006, Halle (S.), SL-C28, Tagungsband S. 105
L. Fiedler, R. Sandner, S. Marinow
Modified Polyethylene Powder for Laser Sintering
PPS 18: Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Polymer Processing Society
Guimaraes, Portugal, June 16-20, 2002, Conference Proceedings (CD-ROM)
L. Fiedler, R. Sandner, S. Marinow
Polyolefinische Pulverblends für das Lasersintern
Trends und Entwicklungen auf dem Gebiet der Polymerblends, 28.-29. März 2001, Merseburg
Tagungsbeiträge 10. Problemseminar Polymermischungen
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg 2001, S. 76-79
R. Sandner, L. Fiedler, S. Marinow, J. Müller
Modifizierung der Fließfähigkeit und Oberflächenspannung von Polyolefin-Pulvern
Polymerwerkstoffe 2000, 25.-27.09.2000, Halle (S.), Tagungsband S. 482