The primary contributors to poor mechanical properties in polyamide materials used during Selective
Laser Sintering® are qualified. Methods to quantify the decreased mechanical properties, including
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of fracture surfaces, are compared against each other and against
mechanical properties of components fabricated using multiple process parameters. Of primary interest
are Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) and Elongation at Break (EOB) of tensile specimens fabricated
under conditions that produce varying degrees of ductile and brittle fracture.Mechanical Engineerin