{"id":9241,"date":"2025-04-10T20:40:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T18:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/?p=9241"},"modified":"2025-04-10T20:40:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T18:40:16","slug":"sharebot-snowwhite2-why-use-co2-laser-for-sls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/sharebot-snowwhite2-why-use-co2-laser-for-sls\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowwhite2: Why we use a CO2 laser for our SLS 3d printers"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<div  class='flex_column av-79426x-5db36c441f6abe3b1ec2aebfd9c213f6 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_two_third  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div  '     ><style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m9boskap-3f0786dd1c78f3a689f898c10dce60d9\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-m9boskap-3f0786dd1c78f3a689f898c10dce60d9{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-m9boskap-3f0786dd1c78f3a689f898c10dce60d9 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-m9boskap-3f0786dd1c78f3a689f898c10dce60d9 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-m9boskap-3f0786dd1c78f3a689f898c10dce60d9 av-special-heading-h1  avia-builder-el-1  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Snowwhite<sup>2<\/sup>: Why a CO2 Laser for a SLS printer<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div  class='flex_column av-5i21ih-304d7536e6d60ecedef7405e72f56a05 av_two_third  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_one_third  first flex_column_div  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-m9bouwgg-47754cd331583ae9be20b38847de310e '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:467\">In the field of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) for thermoplastic materials, a key differentiator in machine performance lies in the type of laser employed. Analysis consistently demonstrates that SLS printers utilizing CO2 lasers generally outperform those using diode lasers in achieving high-quality, efficient, and versatile thermoplastic sintering. This article will explore the primary reasons behind the superior performance of CO2 laser-equipped SLS machines such as our <strong>Snowwhite2<\/strong> and <strong>Snowwhite2-HT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:561\">A significant advantage stems from the <strong>wavelength of the laser<\/strong>. CO2 lasers typically operate at a wavelength of <strong>10.6 micrometers (\u00b5m)<\/strong>, situated within the mid-infrared spectrum. This wavelength exhibits <strong>excellent absorption characteristics across a broad range of thermoplastic powders<\/strong> commonly used in SLS, including PA12, PA11, TPU, and PP. This efficient absorption directly translates into more effective melting and fusion of the powder particles, leading to <strong>higher part density, improved mechanical properties, and superior surface finish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-buttonrow-wrap av-m9bp22fq-3e9a752b7e993dbe9024a8dca83e2709 avia-buttonrow-center  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last '>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m9boyj9i-9fdda690720dfc5366f27ccee2b6c675\">\n#top #wrap_all .avia-button.av-m9boyj9i-9fdda690720dfc5366f27ccee2b6c675{\nmargin-bottom:5px;\nmargin-right:3px;\nmargin-left:3px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<a href='https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/stampanti\/snowwhite-2\/#request-form'  class='avia-button av-m9boyj9i-9fdda690720dfc5366f27ccee2b6c675 avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-small avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Contact us\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-iconfont avia-font-entypo-fontello' data-av_icon='\ue81f' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Contact us<\/span><\/a>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m9bp0r2o-d559b362ab3de5efe5090084396473ce\">\n#top #wrap_all .avia-button.av-m9bp0r2o-d559b362ab3de5efe5090084396473ce{\nmargin-bottom:5px;\nmargin-right:3px;\nmargin-left:3px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<a href='https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/printers\/snowwhite-2\/'  class='avia-button av-m9bp0r2o-d559b362ab3de5efe5090084396473ce avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-small avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Snowwhite specs\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-iconfont avia-font-entypo-fontello' data-av_icon='\ue822' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Snowwhite specs<\/span><\/a>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m9bp1ypx-d2fa05facdf54a594939eee7752e0e05\">\n#top #wrap_all .avia-button.av-m9bp1ypx-d2fa05facdf54a594939eee7752e0e05{\nmargin-bottom:5px;\nmargin-right:3px;\nmargin-left:3px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<a href='https:\/\/sharebot.us\/snowwhite2-std-and-ht\/'  class='avia-button av-m9bp1ypx-d2fa05facdf54a594939eee7752e0e05 avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-small avia-color-theme-color'   aria-label=\"Snowwhite2 on sharebot.us\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-iconfont avia-font-entypo-fontello' data-av_icon='\ue822' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Snowwhite2 on sharebot.us<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div><\/p><\/div><div  class='flex_column av-3xbna1-85ec461e510d4cee602546599da0232e av_one_third  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_two_third  el_before_av_one_full  flex_column_div  column-top-margin'     ><style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-m9boxta2-b71120a4ba36479c7111d9c2af03d7ec\">\n.avia-image-container.av-m9boxta2-b71120a4ba36479c7111d9c2af03d7ec img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-m9boxta2-b71120a4ba36479c7111d9c2af03d7ec .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-m9boxta2-b71120a4ba36479c7111d9c2af03d7ec av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-6  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image-2103 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-2103 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-300x300.png\" alt='Sharebot sintering printer SnowWhite2' title='Snowwhite2'  height=\"300\" width=\"300\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-1030x1030.png 1030w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-80x80.png 80w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-36x36.png 36w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-180x180.png 180w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1-705x705.png 705w, https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Snowwhite2-1.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div  class='flex_column av-2zdxsp-930432f6958d2ead13df96d55f0b58d8 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_third  avia-builder-el-last  first flex_column_div  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-m9bovsbg-76066132164ccb1a458d1e6873fbfda4 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p data-sourcepos=\"9:1-9:516\">Conversely, diode lasers typically operate at shorter wavelengths, often in the near-infrared range (around 800-1064 nm). While some thermoplastics can absorb these wavelengths, the absorption rate is often <strong>less efficient and more material-dependent<\/strong>. This can necessitate higher laser power, slower scan speeds, or the incorporation of additives into the powder to enhance absorption. Even with these adjustments, achieving the same level of consolidation and part quality as with a CO2 laser can be challenging.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"11:1-11:613\">Furthermore, <strong>beam quality and stability<\/strong> are crucial for precise sintering. CO2 lasers generally offer a <strong>higher beam quality<\/strong> with a more Gaussian energy distribution. This allows for a <strong>finer focus spot size<\/strong> and more consistent energy delivery across the sintering area. The result is <strong>greater detail resolution<\/strong> in the printed parts and a more uniform sintering process, minimizing warping and other thermal distortions. Diode lasers, while their technology is advancing, often struggle to achieve the same level of beam quality, potentially leading to less precise sintering and lower part accuracy.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"13:1-13:571\"><strong>Power scalability<\/strong> also presents a critical difference. CO2 laser technology has a well-established capability of delivering <strong>high and stable power output<\/strong>, which is essential for sintering larger parts or achieving faster build times. Higher power enables faster scan speeds and the ability to sinter thicker layers, significantly increasing productivity. While the power output of diode lasers has improved, they generally lag behind CO2 lasers in terms of maximum achievable and consistently maintained power levels required for demanding industrial applications.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"15:1-15:552\">In conclusion, while diode laser-based SLS offers a more accessible entry point with potentially lower initial investment, for applications demanding high-quality parts with excellent mechanical properties, fine detail, and efficient production across a broad range of thermoplastic materials, a CO2 laser-equipped SLS printer is generally the superior choice. The inherent advantages in wavelength absorption, beam quality, and power scalability solidify its position as a highly effective technology for advanced thermoplastic additive manufacturing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[38],"class_list":["post-9241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-snowwhite-2","tag-sls-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9241"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9251,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241\/revisions\/9251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharebot.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}