What Is SIS in 3D Printing?
Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS) is an additive manufacturing ( 3D printing ) process that offers an alternative to more conventional powder-based metal or polymer sintering techniques like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Developed by researchers (notably at the University of Southern California), SIS seeks to produce parts by inhibiting sintering (or melting) in certain regions, rather than directly sintering or melting all regions via high-energy sources (lasers, electron beams, etc.). What is SIS in 3d printing ? In simpler terms, in SIS you deposit a base powder (metal or polymer), then selectively apply an inhibitor over the areas you don't want to sinter. Afterwards, you subject the whole thing to a sintering furnace (heat), which fuses the non-inhibited regions to form the final solid object, while the inhibited regions remain loose or non-sintered, acting as sacrificial or “support” material. After sintering, the loose material can be removed, leaving the desired ...