Polyamides for laser

Rhodia Engineering Plastics, a company in the Solvay Group, has announced the launch of Sinterline, the first powdered polyamide 6 range developed specifically for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This technology uses a high power laser to fuse powdered plastics into three-dimensional shapes and can be used to produce complex articles in a short amount of time. Sinterline components produced using SLS have a thermal resistance and rigidity similar to injection-moulded PA6 products. This makes it possible to produce functional prototypes and pieces in limited series at affordable costs. The automotive and electronics industries are the ideal sectors of application for the new range of powdered PA6. It has been used, for example, by Solution F/E2R, an engineering firm specialized in rapid prototyping of components for recreational vehicles and aerospace applications, to produce air lines and tanks for fluids, while work is in progress to create components for the cockpit of the futuristic Solar Impulse aircraft, powered by the sun.