Architectured objects through Selective Laser Sintering

• Main Author: Babu, S.
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2014
• Subjects: 691
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.632080

Architectured material is a term that has emerged to describe the application of geometry at multiple dimensional scales. This hierarchical approach to material engineering encompasses the breadth of methods in the material science field from the macro- to nanoscopic, as a method of creating materials with increasingly complex functionalities to meet our diversifying needs. Recent advancements in Additive Manufacturing provide opportunities by which to build architectured materials that have not been previously possible. Current generation Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is investigated as a potential method of producing architectured objects — an object constructed of an architectured material. The process provides the key capabilities for commercial manufacture: robust mechanical performance, high resolution and a broad dimensional range due to a comparatively large maximum component size. Architectured objects produced through SLS present opportunities to achieve new performances and higher levels of control than prior methods of manufacturing could afford. Such objects are likely to both define new and disrupt a range of commercial markets. For this potential to be realised, two key tasks have been identified — the validation of SLS as means of architectured material manufacture, and the development of methods by which architectured objects can be designed. This thesis deals with the issues of quantifying the SLS processes, identifying the key parameters behind architectured materials, complex digital representation and mechanical assessment and there by establishes the fundamentals of creating architectured objects.