Selective heat sintering (SHS) is a type of

additive manufacturing 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer ...

process. It works by using a thermal printhead to apply heat to layers of powdered

thermoplastic A thermoplastic, or thermosoft plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains associat ...

. When a layer is finished, the powder bed moves down, and an automated roller adds a new layer of material which is

sintered Clinker nodules produced by sintering Sintering or frittage is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquefaction. Sintering happens as part of a manufacturing ...

to form the next cross-section of the model. SHS is best for manufacturing inexpensive prototypes for concept evaluation, fit/form and functional testing. SHS is a Plastics additive manufacturing technique similar to

selective laser sintering Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that uses a laser as the power and heat source to sinter powdered material (typically nylon or polyamide), aiming the laser automatically at points in space defined b ...

(SLS), the main difference being that SHS employs a less intense thermal printhead instead of a laser, thereby making it a cheaper solution, and able to be scaled down to desktop sizes.

References

{{3d printing 3D printing processes Thermoplastics