RAPID MANUFACTURING METAL PARTS USING SLS AND VACUUM PRESSURE DIFFERENCE CASTING TECHNOLOGIES

How to rapidly fabricate metallic parts through rapid prototyping technology is a highly researched technique. However, at the present time, there are many problems during the direct manufacturing of functional metallic parts with rapid prototyping technology, which limits its practical application. Therefore, the indirect manufacturing technology based on rapid prototyping is still a main means of the fabrication of functional metallic parts. A indirect process of the fabrication of metallic parts based on combining selective laser sintering with vacuum pressure difference casting is researched. Some metallic parts are successfully fabricated using the indirect process. The precision control problems during selective laser sintering and investing casting process are researched and analyzed, and some means to solve the precision problems are put forward.