The SLS® technology is being developed for an increasing number of applications – from prototyping to jigs & fixtures to final parts. This technology has a lot of advantages – accuracy, productivity, flexibility. But for the best results, it takes experience. Prodways Experts shared their best nesting tips to support your production of parts.

Objects with different sizes

Objects-with-different-sizes-nesting-sls-3dA standard nesting of objects can be composed of parts with different sizes and thicknesses. We suggest to always start by nesting the bigger parts in the middle of the build platform and place the smaller ones towards the edge of the build chamber. This will protect the massive parts from deformation, and will help maintain a perfect heat distribution on the part bed.

Same orientation for snap-fit parts

Same-orientation-snap-fit-parts-nesting-sls-3dWhen printing snap-fit parts, always print the elements with the same orientation, to prevent the non-uniform deformations on all axis. If this rule is not followed, the parts might not snap into place.

Use flat position when possible

Use-flat-position-nesting-sls-3dAlways try to nest as many of the objects as flat as possible, this will reduce the job’s height, and the total print time. An exception is made for large parts to avoid deformation (see page 5 of the eBook: “SLS 3D Printing: Expert Advice for Success”).

Distance between parts

Distance-between-parts-nesting-sls-3dIn order to avoid difficult cleaning of the parts or fusing of the parts together during the process, a minimum of 1mm gap is required between all of the objects (after the job’s scaling). For an optimized cleaning, we suggest to use 2mm. Massive parts, which can accumulate and release a lot of heat during the process, can require a minimum distance of 5mm.

 

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