Formation of Copper-Based Metal Part via Direct Laser Sintering

Abstract

Direct laser sintering is one of the promising rapid prototyping technologies. Recent research work has been focused on direct laser sintering of metal or ceramic materials for functional parts, as well as tooling. In this paper, a process for direct laser sintering of a copper-based alloy is presented. The sintering process was conducted on a specially developed high temperature laser manufacturing system (HTLMS). The effect of the process parameters on the properties of the laser-sintered parts was studied. The mechanism of the direct laser sintering of the copper-based alloy was investigated. The density, surface roughness and mechanical properties of laser-sintered parts were measured and analysed. The optimised process parameter setting achieved from the experimental study has been successfully applied to build a pair of copper-based injection mold inserts.