Dr. Carl Deckard, along with Dr. Joseph Beaman, developed and patented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which uses a high-powered laser to fuse particles of plastic, nylon, metals, including steel and titanium, ceramic, or glass powders into a 3D object. Dr. Deckard was a student at the University of Texas and in the mid-1980s, he and Dr. Beaman created the Selective Laser Sintering process under the sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is an agency for the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of technology for the military. Drs. Beaman and Deckard were involved in the startup of the company called DTM, which designed and built Selective Laser Sintering machines.

 

Selective Laser Sintering and Carl Deckard’s Contributions to 3D Printing

 

Dr. Deckard had worked for a machine shop in Houston during his freshman year and realized the need for an additive manufacturing process, also known as 3D printing. He started working with Dr. Beaman and created the Selective Laser Sintering as an answer. Dr. Deckard’s contributions have helped 3D printing, rapid prototyping, and a shortening of the design cycle. Rapid manufacturing offers the potential to reduce cost, time, and creating shapes that would take multiple operations.