Influence of the process parameters on the liquid bridges between particles in SLS

In the SLS process, pulsed lasers are mostly used. Since only the surface of the powder particles is molten, consolidation can be achieved at much lower average power. Liquid bridges appear between the powder particles and are responsible for the bonding. The mechanical properties of the final part depend of the shape of these bonds. The goal of this study is to understand how the evolution of the liquid bridges (also called necks) is influenced by the laser parameters.