High Frequency Plasma Aided Rapid Prototyping

High Frequency Selective Electrical Discharge Sintering (HFSEDS) is a new method of rapid prototyping. In HFSEDS, by using a relatively inexpensive machine, physical and functional parts, tools and masters can be built. This paper presents two essential subjects in HFSEDS. At the first, a brief overview of innovation,development and research conducted to determine the feasibility of HFSEDS process is presented. The capabilities and sequential processes of HFSEDS are described. Then the thermal behaviour of that method is analyzed. By numerical solution, the temperature of entire nodes of the field at the end of binding stage of metal coated powder has been calculated. The temperature distribution indicates that the value of temperature at outer surface of top hemisphere is higher than it on the outer surface of bottom hemisphere. In addition some experimental results that describe the feasibility and potential of HFSEDS process are presented.