Development of Processing Parameters for the Selective Laser Sintering of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyphenylene

The ongoing development of processing parameters for advanced thermoplastic materials to be fabricated via selective laser sintering (SLS) is rapidly advancing the potential industrial applications of the manufacturing method. This research focuses on the development of SLS processing parameters and a tooling application for carbon fiber reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide (CF-PPS), a composite material that is novel to SLS. A high temperature SLS research machine was used to identify suitable processing parameters for the material along with the tensile strength and geometrical accuracy associated with those parameters. Utilizing the previously identified parameters, a repair mold for an electronic cable assembly was fabricated. Mechanical tests were performed on fabricated CF-PPS parts to evaluate the performance of the material under the mold’s normal operating conditions. The additively manufactured CF-PPS mold was deemed viable for production and was shipped to our sponsor for further evaluation.