One of the most exciting developments in manufacturing in recent times has been the process called selective laser sintering (SLS). This almost sci-fi production process allows designers to create solid complex objects quickly and with no tooling. It utilises a computer-controlled laser beam that fuses together plastic or metallic powder – one cross-sectional layer at a time. A thin layer of powder is laid down, a laser fuses a cross-sectional shape, then another layer of powder is placed on top. The laser fuses the next cross-sectional shape while binding it to the previous layer. In this way, an object is created from the base up.

SLS is an advanced method of manufacture that makes the production of parts rapid and precise. Production that would have taken weeks in the past can now be completed in hours. This enables designers to easily customise their work while allowing inspiration and invention to blossom.

This exhibition highlights the remarkable flexibility, complexity and joyous creativity unleashed by this process. On display is a series of design projects by the industrial design program at the University of Technology, Sydney, in collaboration with Advanced Manufacturing Services, Australia. The projects take full advantage of the SLS process and include research into the application and advantages of the new technology. The exhibition proposes future directions in industrial design and its relationship with manufacturing. Nothing is ever going to be the same again!

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