Determining the parameter settings and capability of a rapid prototyping process

This paper reports the statistical approach employed in setting the parameters of a rapid prototyping process to achieve the desired production quality and to measure its process capability when a new material was introduced. Full factorial experiments were designed and conducted in a beta Sinterstation 2000 Selective Laser Sintering machine with three main factors: laser power, laser scan speed, and part bed temperature. Analysis of variance summaries and response surface plots helped locate the parameter settings to produce parts with the desired quality. Residual analyses and normality plots helped validate the results, while process capability studies helped measure the uniformity of the process output. The statistical approach employed in this study offers a feasible way to: 1) identify significant process parameters and their interactions impacting product quality, 2) find appropriate process settings for future production, 3) determine the capability of the rapid prototyping process