Status and development of rapid prototyping technology of metal parts by selective laser melting

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a new developed rapid prototyping technology,which is driven by the need to obtain high-density metal parts directly.A metal body with metallurgical joint and high density is produced by SLM,with a procedure of selective melting layer-by-layer for metal or alloy powder,by using a focused laser beam with diameter of 30～50μm.The products can be used as moulds or tools after polishing or simple surface treatment without other machining.The present status,development and applications of SLM technology have been expounded in the aspects of SLM equipment,technique and software.