Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) of metal powder is modeled as a two-dimensional melting
and resolidification of a loose powder layer on top of the sintered metal layers with a moving
heat source. The shrinkage induced by melting is accounted for and the problem is modeled
using a temperature-transforming model. The results indicate that both the moving heat source
intensity and scanning velocity have significant effects on the sintering process. Since the
thermal conductivity of the sintered layer is relatively high compared with that of the loose
powder, higher heat source intensity and lower scanning velocity are needed to achieve complete
melting of the loose powder and bond the current layer to the existing sintered layers. A
parametric study is performed and the best combinations of the processing parameters are
recommended.Support for this work by the Office of Naval Research under grant number N00014-02-1-
0356 is greatly acknowledged.Mechanical Engineerin