An important parameter for the overall quality of SLS parts is the density of powder layers before sintering.
Previous studies have shownthatthe control of powder particle shape and size distribution can increase the density of
non-packed powder beds. However, these studies concerned beds several orders of magnitude larger than the SLS
layers. The purpose ofthis study. is to determine if,and to what extent, the density of thin powder layers can be
ineteased. Experiments show that the density of thin layers increases from 53% to 63% when adding 30% fine powder
to the coarse powder,/with a coarse-to-fine ratio of 1:10. Compared with the bulk experiments, this density
improvement method is less efficient, because the particles do not arrange as efficiently, and the wall effects can
become predominant.Mechanical Engineerin