FAST PROTOTYPING METHOD BY LASER SINTERING OF POWDER AND RELATED DEVICE

摘要

The invention concerns a fast prototyping method by solid phase sintering, using a laser, of a powder or a mixture of powders, in particular ceramic. The invention is characterised in that it comprises steps which consist in obtaining a succession of superposed digitised sections (10) of an object (12) to be produced, from a three-dimensional representation of said object; then in spreading in the form of a fine layer (14) the powder or mixture of powders heated to a temperature close to solid phase sintering temperature of said powder or mixture of powders; and finally in bringing the layer (14) to the sintering temperature by scanning with a laser beam (16) said layer such that a selected part (18) of the powder, corresponding to one of the digitised sections (10') of the object (12) to be produced, is sintered in solid phase by the additional energy supplied by the laser, the last two steps being repeated until all the digitised superposed sections of the object to be produced are obtained. The invention also concerns the associated device.