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Selective Laser Sintering and related
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3D Systems World's first commercial manufacturer of rapid prototyping systems. 3D provides selective laser sintering technology as well as several others. Arcam AB (Sweden) The Electron Beam Melting procees is capable of producing dense objects in final materials such as stainless steel. The process is similar to SLS, but use an electron beam in a vacuum as the energy source rather than a laser. Aspect, Inc. (Japan) The company is a service bureau that also has designed and produced its own laser sintering technology. Concept-Laser (Germany) A company of the Hofmann Group which also has a service bureau subsidiary, it sells a multi-functional machine called the M3. It has individual replaceable modules that perform either selective laser melting, laser erosion or laser marking. Machines providing only additive technologies are also available. EOS GmbH (Germany) EOS is Europe's largest RP system provider, and claims to be the largest provider of laser sintering technology world-wide. MCP - HEK Tooling GmbH (Germany) Markets the RealizerTM selective laser melting (SLM) system. The technology was originally developed by the Fraunhofer Institutes and initial commercialization was done by Fockele&Schwartze, (F&S) with subsequent work by ReaLizer GmbH, both also of Germany. The process is similar to selective laser sintering, but fully melts metal or ceramic powders to directly form fully-dense parts. (In German and English.) Phenix Systems (France) The company provides laser sintering systems largely focused on makingceramic and metallic parts and also acts as a service bureau. The process is said to require no binders and the machine has 100mm diameter cylindrical build chamber. Phenix is working on a process for using the machine to make ceramic dental copings. ReaLizer GmbH (Germany) The company is an offshoot of F&S and markets its selective laser melting (SLM) equipment through MCP - HEK GmbH. See listing above. Sintermask Technologies AB (Sweden) (Formerly Speed Part AB) has developed a powder-based technology similar to selective laser sintering. The process uses heat from infrared lamps to sinter entire layers of plastic powder with a single exposure through a mask printed on a glass plate. 3D-Micromac AG (Germany) The company offers selective laser sintering technology aimed at the fabrication of micro devices. The build chamber is 50mm dia and 40mm in height, and materials offered inclde tungsten, copper, aluminum, gold, titanium, silver and molybdenum. Part densities are in the 70 to 95% range. Wuhan Benha Mechanical & Electrical Co., Ltd. (China) Also makes steolithography and laminated object manufacturing equipment. (In Chinese.)
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