Carl Deckard, Inventor of Selective Laser Sintering, has died

January 9, 2020

News
January 9, 2020
Carl Deckard, Inventor of Selective Laser Sintering, has died
Carl Deckard, recognised as the inventor of Selective Laser Sintering, has died (Courtesy AMUG)

Carl Robert Deckard, recognised as the inventor of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), passed away on December 23, 2019. Along with SLS, Deckard is also credited with inventing the Deckard Engine as well as a number of polymers for use in Additive Manufacturing. 

With twenty-seven patents, Deckard was profiled by Fortune magazine as one of five modern technology pioneers, inducted into the Manufacturing Hall of Fame by Industry Week, and named a Master of Manufacturing by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. 

Born in Houston on June 20, 1961 Deckard attended elementary school in Michigan, Ohio, and Port Arthur, Texas. After attending junior high in Clear Lake City, he moved back to Port Arthur and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. He attended the University of Texas at Austin (UT), where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and went on to study for a Master’s degree. During a summer internship, he started to think about a new invention – a way to fabricate parts directly from drawings by using a laser to fuse together powder in the shape of the part and building up the piece, layer by layer. 

He worked with Dr Joe Beaman, a young assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering, to develop the process that became known as Selective Laser Sintering, one of the earliest and most enduring forms of Additive Manufacturing. The result of his Master’s project was an SLS plastic cube within another plastic cube and with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation, he continued working on his invention for his PhD under the direction of Dr Beaman. 

Deckard’s graduate work was so successful that UT agreed to license the technology in 1988, said to be the first time that UT had entered into such an agreement. This started the process of Deckard transforming his invention into a commercial product. In recent years, Carl worked with his collaborators, Jim Mikulak and Vikram Devarajan, to invent new polymers, making it possible to make better quality additively manufactured 3D parts. 

News
January 9, 2020

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Back to the future: A decade of Additive Manufacturing innovation and growth at Materials Solutions
  • Win or lose: A CEO’s reflections on Artificial Intelligence and Additive Manufacturing
  • AMS 2025 New York: A reality check for the Additive Manufacturing industry
  • Optimising powder removal in PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing: A Digital Twin approach
  • ValCUN’s MMD: A robust, wire-based aluminium AM technology for defence and industrial applications
  • Enhancing quality and reliability in metal Additive Manufacturing: The role of laser calibration

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap