Chess-like Pieces Realized by Selective Laser Sintering of PA12 Powder: 3D Printing and Micro-Tomographic Assessment
Giovanna Colucci1,2, Luca Fontana1, Jacopo Barberi1,3
1Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
Polymers
|January 8, 2025
Summary
This study demonstrates successful 3D printing of complex polyamide 12 (PA12) chess pieces using selective laser sintering (SLS). Analysis confirmed high print quality, dimensional accuracy, and the impact of geometry on final part porosity.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Engineering
Background:
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is a key additive manufacturing technology for polymer parts.
- Polyamide 12 (PA12) is a versatile polymer powder suitable for SLS applications.
- Complex geometries present challenges in SLS due to powder flow and sintering dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the printability of Polyamide 12 (PA12) powder for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).
- To optimize SLS printing parameters for complex geometries, exemplified by chess-like pieces.
- To evaluate the dimensional accuracy and porosity of 3D-printed objects using micro-computed tomography (μ-CT).
Main Methods:
- Morphological analysis of PA12 powder for particle size distribution and flowability.
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) to determine sintering window and thermal stability.
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process optimization and micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) for dimensional and porosity evaluation.
Main Results:
- PA12 powder exhibited suitable microstructure and flowability for SLS.
- Optimized printing parameters yielded high-quality, dimensionally stable 3D-printed chess pieces.
- μ-CT analysis revealed that object shape and section changes significantly influence the final porosity of the printed parts.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of 3D printing complex geometries using PA12 via SLS.
- The research provides insights into powder characterization, process optimization, and post-print evaluation for SLS.
- Understanding the relationship between geometry, porosity, and dimensional accuracy is crucial for advanced additive manufacturing.
