EOS, a German supplier of laser-sintering 3d printers, says they are already being used to make plastic and metal production parts by carmakers, aerospace firms and consumer-products companies.
Powder metallurgy (Fig. 5.1) USES sintering process for making various parts out of metal powder. The metal powder is compacted by placing in a closed metal cavity (the die) under pressure.
Some existing problems of forming metal parts by selective laser sintering technology were pointed out. The development prospect of the technology was summarized.