NEWS LASERS IN ACTION


LASER METAL AM ON DISPLAY AT FORMNEXT TRADE FAIR


Companies presented new laser additive manufacturing (AM) equipment at the Formnext trade fair, which took place in Frankfurt, Germany from 17 to 20 November. Trumpf introduced laser metal fusion and laser metal deposition systems, while Concept Laser focused on intelligent networking of machines and automation under the motto ‘AM factory of tomorrow’. Trumpf has established a new division for


additive manufacturing at its headquarters in Ditzingen, Germany, and has been working with Italian laser system maker, Sisma, on AM technology. ‘The introduction of these new 3D printers is


an essential first step, since additive manufacturing will not only supplement production techniques in the future, but will also exert a formative influence on them,’ commented Dr Peter Leibinger, head of Trumpf Laser- und Systemtechnik. ‘We will be offering rugged and highly productive machinery with which small and medium-sized parts incorporating complex structures can be manufactured,’ he said. Laser metal fusion (LMF) generates parts layer


by layer in a bed of powder, while in laser metal deposition the laser creates a melted pool on the surface of a part and fuses the powder as it is added in a powder stream. Trumpf’s TruPrint 1000 LMF machine can


generate parts at 100 x 100mm, fusing the powder layers with a 200W laser. The supply cylinder provides capacity for up to 1.4 litres of stainless steel, tool steel, aluminium or another weldable material in powdered form. Trumpf also unveiled at the show a prototype of the TruPrint 3000, a larger model able to build parts measuring up to 400 x 300mm. Concept Laser showed a new machine


concept at Formnext with the emphasis on the digital aspect of 3D printing. Concept Laser bases its AM technology on its LaserCusing process. Frank Herzog, CEO of Concept Laser,


commented: ‘Build rates have increased enormously with multi-laser technology. The build envelope sizes have increased remarkably. Now, we intend to use an integrated system


4 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 29 • WINTER 2015


Laser metal fusion generates parts layer by layer in a bed of powder


concept to show what possibilities exist for “Industry 4.0” approaches to change additive manufacturing as the production strategy for the future. There is a whole host of potential for boosting flexibility and the created value.’ Concept Laser aims to offer digital networking


of systems and automation of processes. The company’s machine concept includes flexible machine loading, and spatial separation of the setup and dismantling procedures. EOS and Renishaw also


pool during the DMLS build process. Dr Tobias Abeln, chief technology officer at EOS, stated: ‘We developed this powerful, intelligent monitoring solution jointly with Plasmo Industrietechnik, a global supplier of automated, high technology quality assurance systems.’ The monitoring solution observes


have increased enormously


Build rates


displayed new technology at the show. EOS introduced the M 100, a system for direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), a melt pool monitoring system, and new metal powders. EOS’s process monitoring and analysis


system, called Eostate MeltPool Monitoring, is an add-on to the EOS M 290 DMLS system. The tool offers complete part traceability as well as automated surveillance and analysis of the melt


the light emitted by the melt pool. The key elements are a pair of photodiodes located on- and off-axis, a camera adapter, a specialised signal amplifier, and spectral filters to separate process light from reflected laser light. The


associated software offers automatic data error correction and real-time process visualisation and evaluation. Renishaw exhibited the RenAM 500M system


based on metal powder fusion technology. The machine offers dynamic focusing, automated powder sieving and recirculation, a 500W ytterbium fibre laser, and a high capacity dual filter SafeChange system.


@lasersystemsmag | www.lasersystemseurope.com


Trumpf


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