Inverted laser sintering of metal powders

Abstract

We demonstrate the ability of the inverted laser sintering process to manufacture parts composed of metal powder. We fabricate a 10-layer part by depositing a layer of copper powder onto a sapphire plate, then pressing the plate against the part being built and sintering the powder onto the part by shining a 14W 445 nm laser through the glass. The process was then repeated multiple times, each time adding a new layer to the component being printed until completion. We discuss the potential applications and impacts of this process, including the ability to directly fabricate multi-material metallic parts without the use of a powder bed.