Product Code: ICAL06_1803

Analysis of the Laser Sintering Process for Direct Manufacturing of Mould
Authors:
Nadine Coulon, GERAILP; Arcueil France
Yorris Lafaye, GERAILP; Arcueil France
Pascal Aubry, GERAILP; Arcueil France
Presented at ICALEO 2006

In this article, we propose to investigate the capabilities of the laser sintering process for the direct manufacturing of plastic injection tools. First, we describe the laser sintering process. This process is developed at GIP/GERAILP in one project related to direct manufacturing of mould for plastic injection : ANTIOPE. The demonstrator developed during this project is presented through its main components : the layering system, the laser and the scanning device. Then, we describe the part to achieve and analyze its complexity in respect to the process. The parameters for the proposed materials (stainless steel or tool steel) are presented. Finally, the manufactured parts are presented and analyzed in term of surface roughness, dimensions and quality of the material.