TURN A LASER CUTTER INTO A PRINTER THAT BUILDS FROM POWDER
Selective laser sintering needs no support structures because the powder itself holds the part up, but the machines cost hundreds of thousands — until Rice University published the plans to bolt a powder bed module onto a CO2 laser cutter you might already own.
by Miller Lab, Rice University
WorkshopOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●●●
- time
- several weekends
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE286 stars
●●●●● · several weekends · GPL-3.0 · 286 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
OpenSLS is a genuine research tool published by a university lab, not a weekend kit. It converts a CO2 laser cutter into a selective laser sintering 3D printer by adding a custom powder bed assembly that spreads thin layers of powder while the laser fuses each cross-section. The result is industrial-process 3D printing — overhangs need no supports because unfused powder holds the part up — at a fraction of the commercial price. The 2016 PLOS ONE paper anchors entry-level commercial SLS at upwards of 400,000 dollars and states the OpenSLS module cost approximately 2,000 dollars to build, with a complete system under 10,000 dollars. That gap has narrowed: a benchtop Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W now lists around 24,649 dollars, but the difference remains large. The repository holds four revisions; R3 is the acrylic build for nylon or wax, R4 is the carbohydrate powder version shown in the photographs. The files are comprehensive — laser-cut DXF, printable STL, Marlin firmware, BOM, source CAD — but there is no assembly guide. You work from the CAD and the academic paper, and you need fabrication skills, a working CO2 laser cutter, and patience. The one thing most likely to go wrong is powder handling: fine powder is messy, potentially flammable, and demands ventilation and care. This is not a plug-and-play conversion. It is a complex build for someone who already runs a laser cutter and wants capabilities that did not exist at this price point before. If that describes you, the repository is gold. If you are new to either lasers or 3D printing, start elsewhere.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —GPL-3.0 licence, permits commercial use
- —Four hardware revisions in the repository: R1 and R2 are archived legacy designs, R3 is the all-acrylic build for nylon or wax, R4 is the rebuild for carbohydrate powder tissue scaffolds
- —R4 ships with DXF laser cutting files, STL 3D printed parts, Marlin firmware fork, bill of materials spreadsheet, and source CAD assembly
- —The PLOS ONE paper from 2016 states build cost was approximately 2,000 dollars plus the laser cutter, and a complete system can be assembled for under 10,000 dollars
- —No assembly manual or step-by-step guide — you work from the CAD, the BOM, and the paper
- —Requires a functional CO2 laser cutter as the base machine, which is not included in the parts cost
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the PLOS ONE paper(DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0147399 — this is the primary documentation and explains the design decisions,材料 choices, and process parameters)
- 2.Choose your revision(R3 for nylon or wax (general purpose), R4 for carbohydrate powder (tissue scaffolds). The revisions use different powder feed mechanisms.)
- 3.Open the CAD assembly(The source CAD is your assembly guide — work through it to understand how the powder bed module mounts to your laser cutter)
- 4.Source parts from the BOM(The bill of materials spreadsheet lists every component; lead times on motion hardware can be long)
KNOWN ISSUES
- The biggest trap is not owning a suitable CO2 laser cutter already — the cost savings disappear if you have to buy one just for this project, and not all cutters are compatible.
- There is no step-by-step assembly manual. You work from the CAD, the BOM, and the academic paper. If that sentence sounds hard, it is.
- Powder handling is messy and hazardous. Fine nylon or polycaprolactone powder gets everywhere, is potentially flammable, and requires proper ventilation. Underestimate this and you will regret it.
- The 2016 paper's price anchors are stale. Entry-level commercial SLS is no longer 400,000 dollars — benchtop machines now list around 25,000 dollars, so the gap is smaller than the headline suggests.
- Marlin firmware must be configured for your specific hardware. The repository includes a fork, but you will need to adapt pin assignments and motion settings.
- First prints will fail. Sintering requires precise temperature control, layer thickness, and laser power. Budget time for calibration and expect wasted powder.
Which revision should I build?
R3 if you want to sinter nylon or wax for general mechanical parts. R4 if you are specifically interested in carbohydrate powder for tissue engineering scaffolds. The powder feed mechanisms differ. Do not mix them.
Can I use this with a diode laser or a fibre laser?
No. The design is for CO2 lasers specifically, which operate at a different wavelength and power level. The sintering process depends on CO2 laser characteristics.
How much does the powder cost?
Nylon powder for SLS runs roughly 50 to 150 dollars per kilogram depending on grade and supplier. Polycaprolactone is similar. Budget for several kilograms to start, as powder can be reused but degrades over multiple cycles.
Is this actually cheaper than buying a commercial SLS printer now?
It depends. The 2016 paper compared against 400,000 dollar industrial machines. Today, a Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W lists around 24,649 dollars. If you already own a laser cutter, OpenSLS is still far cheaper. If you have to buy the cutter, the gap narrows significantly and you lose the warranty and support.
What can I actually print with this?
The PLOS ONE paper demonstrated nylon structures with sub-millimetre features and dramatic overhangs, plus polycaprolactone lattices for bone tissue engineering. This is functional prototyping and research hardware, not production manufacturing.
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The 2016 paper stated the build cost was approximately 2,000 dollars plus the laser cutter, with a complete system under 10,000 dollars, while entry-level commercial SLS was upwards of 400,000. Today a benchtop Fuse 1+ lists around 24,649 dollars — still a large gap if you already own a CO2 cutter. If you have one, would you try this?
Miller Lab, Rice University
OpenSLS was developed in the lab of Jordan S. Miller at Rice University to make selective laser sintering accessible for research. The original R1 and R2 designs were by Andreas Bastian. R3 was designed by Ian Kinstlinger, Anderson Ta, and David Yalacki. R4 was designed by Ian Kinstlinger and David Yalacki. The work was published in PLOS ONE in 2016 to demonstrate that industrial 3D printing processes could be brought within reach of university labs and well-equipped makerspaces.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM11d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the repository holds four revisions but no assembly guide — you work from the CAD files, the BOM spreadsheet, and the 2016 PLOS ONE paper (DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0147399). The photographs in the reel are the R4 carbohydrate powder revision, not the R3 nylon build, and the two use different powder feed mechanisms. The paper's 400,000 dollar commercial price anchor is from 2016; benchtop SLS has moved downmarket since then, with the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W now listing around 24,649 dollars, so the gap is smaller than the headline but still significant if you already own a laser cutter. The single biggest non-obvious requirement is proper powder handling — fine powder is messy, flammable, and needs real ventilation. This is a research platform, not a plug-and-play kit, and the safety risks are lab-grade.