Unlike some other additive production processes, such as FDM and SLA, SLS does not have to use some other support structures as the object being printed is surrounded by unsintered powder.
Like the rest of the methods listed above the method begins with the creation of a computer-aided design (CAD) file, which then has to be converted into .stl format with special applications. The material used for printing can range from nylon, glass and ceramics to some metals such as aluminum, silver or steel.
Due to large selection of materials which may be used with this sort of 3d printer that the technology is quite popular for 3D printing customized goods.
SLS is more dispersed among manufactures instead of 3D amateurs at home as this technology requires using high-powered lasers, resulting in these printers being rather expensive.
That being said, there are quite a few startups working on cheap SLS printing machines. For example, recently Andreas Bastian has shared details about his SLS printer (in development) which uses wax and carbon for printing. Another fantastic example is the Focus SLS printer which can be easily used at home requirements and originally was presented at Thingiverse.
The rest - SLM, LOM and EBM
The last three types of 3D printing technologies are Selective laser melting (SLM), Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) and Digital Beam Melting (EBM). Through the last two decades, these technologies have either fallen out of fashion or proved to be economically unviable. As such, you will not find the 3D printers of today using SLM, LOM or EBM technologies.
Who knows whether these will make a reappearance, but for now if you wish to learn more about these types of printing, refer to our article which deals with the history of 3D printing.
We hoped you enjoyed this article, and we would like to thank Elva Wu, whose article on 3D printing from scratch, proved to be a great resource while writing this guide.
If you feel confident enough about the types of 3D printers on the market, and are ready to jump in and purchase one for yourself, then head over to our 3D printer buying guides. You will find our budget 3D printer review here.
If you have a few more bucks to spend then take a look at our review for the best 3D printers under $1000, a cut-throat pricepoint in the 3D printing industry, thereby earning its own dedicated review.
