A Generic System for Homogenous SLS Steel Materials

A generic approach to a variety if different steel materials for SLS based application has been examined. This approach is based on a base steel alloy powder mixed with a powder blend of much smaller particles. The powder blend is designed to both provide the highest possible density in the powder mass and melting material components for liquid phase sintering to full density. Furthermore, the liquid phase components in the powder blend are composed to both serve as a metallic binder for the green bodies and maintain the possibility to completely dissolve into the base material, forming a homogenous alloy. A powder blend with stainless steel base material was composed and tested and taken through the different process steps. While the formation of green bodies had limited success, to a large extent due to limitations in the process equipment, the sintering and diffusion behaviour showed promising results, both in respect to acquired densities, and homogeneity of the material.