SLS: 4D Printing, DfAM for dynamic performance

The most exciting thing about SLS is that it is an additive manufacturing technology with robust and purposeful materials that also possess dynamic properties.

This means that SLS offers the potential for Design for Additive Manufacture (DfAM) to produce not only static shapes but shapes that possess dynamic performance and the ability to transform.  This powerful characteristic can be applied to your additively manufactured parts to maximise productivity and thus increase value, as well as to producing parts that provide functional behaviour.

This type of designing is sometimes referred to as 4D printing, which although headline grabbing, only serves to mystify this type of designing with AM.  In reality, this is simply DfAM with an understanding of the dynamic material properties of SLS in order to make objects perform.   See  some  of  these  types of part on the SLS Part Video page.

Advanced SLS can provide design consultancy on how and when best to use this approach in order to maximise the function, productivity and value of your SLS parts.

An exciting prospect for the dynamic performance of SLS is EOS’s forthcoming “Fine Detail Resolution” technology, which will allow finer, smaller objects to display these properties.  This potential is also discussed further in my blogs.