NEWS
Fraunhofer ILT says diode lasers future for AM
The future direction of Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology’s (ILT) additive manufacturing research will rely much more on diode lasers. Christian Hinke at Fraunhofer ILT said this during a presentation at UK photonics event, Photonex, which took place in Coventry from 14 to 15 October. Hinke, speaking during a high
power diode lasers and systems conference at the show, said that innovative and scalable selective laser melting (SLM) machines can be built with diode lasers. Most commercial SLM machines from the likes of EOS and Concept Laser are based on fibre lasers. At Euromold last year,
Fraunhofer ILT presented a processing head for selective laser melting containing a number of diode lasers arranged in a line – the system Hinke showed at Photonex had five laser spots, although he said this could be extended. Hinke noted that the cost of
SLM is still prohibitively expensive. He said that the diode laser source could help reduce both the capital cost of the machine and the time and cost of building the part. Fraunhofer designed an SLM
system with Concept Laser costing €1.5 million, which was used to produce a prototype V8 engine block for an automotive client. Despite the expense, the SLM machine cut the time to manufacture the prototype from months to weeks. However, with a multi-scanner
SLM system based on diode lasers, the cost of the machine and the processing can be lowered dramatically. Hinke said that SLM only needs 200W of laser power and a beam quality of 10mm*mrad, both of which can be achieved with today’s diode laser technology. Hinke gave the example of the
3D printing tool MakerBot as a low cost 3D printing system. He said that the vision of the
future for additive manufacturing would be to combine the mechanics of a system like MakerBot, which costs around $2,000, with inexpensive laser diodes to make a machine costing around $5,000.
ENGINE SUPPLIER INSTALLS ROBOT LASER MARKING TOOL
A supplier of automotive engines has automated a new cylinder head line with assembly machines and a robotic laser marking system to identify the components going through the production line. The equipment was provided by Tec Systems in the
UK. Each cylinder head is marked with a solid-state laser mounted to the end of a six-axis ABB industrial robot. The robot is used to align the laser marking field,
which is a flat plane, with the surface on the component that requires marking. This solution enables the component to be fixed in orientation and the robot to orient the marking field to the required angle. The cylinder head, which is cast from a high grade aluminium alloy, is laser marked with a black high-contrast and permanent laser mark. The laser system produced for the automotive supplier
consists of a very compact laser marking head that weighs just 10kg including air cooling. The use of air cooling avoids the risk of downtime caused by failure of a water connection in the cooling circuit. A scanning head, using a two-axis galvo mirror scanning and a flat field lens, provides a marking field of 120 x 120mm, and the robot can be used to reposition the marking system if the
Engine cylinder heads are marked with a robot-mounted laser
marking area required exceeds this. Tec’s robot and laser system is a solution that could be applied in virtually any industry, as the degree of flexibility afforded allows it to be easily reconfigured to suit new components with different geometries, and the orientation of the marking field enables components of all shapes and sizes to be marked. The systems provide a modular method of introducing
parts into the safety enclosure that can be modified to suit the environment of the production task.
Trumpf opens diode laser R&D subsidiary
Laser maker Trumpf has opened a subsidiary in Berlin, Germany for advanced engineering of laser diodes. The facility, which will be run in cooperation with the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH), will ‘lay the foundations for future applications’ of diode laser technology. Trumpf and the FBH have worked
together for several years. The technology can be used as a pump source or as a
direct diode laser, and it is advancing to the point where it can be used for cutting, welding and surface treatment of metals – companies like Amada have released kilowatt direct diode systems for materials processing. ‘Over the past years our research
activities have resulted in numerous patents, enabling further improvements to diode lasers,’ said Professor Günther Tränkle, director of the FBH. ‘The demand
is there and will continue to grow, because the market for laser systems that can process and cut metals is vast.’ The Berlin subsidiary will have an initial
staff of 10 people. Dr Berthold Schmidt, head of the central department for research and development at Trumpf, said the joint ventures emanating from the facility will be of crucial importance for the company’s development work in the area of diode lasers.
Laser ‘3D printing’ startup raises $28m from crowdfunding contain a 40W or 45W CO2
A startup 3D laser printing company, Glowforge, has raised $28 million in pre-order sales in 30 days from a crowdfunding campaign. It’s the largest 30-day crowdfunding campaign in history, according to the company. Glowforge’s CO2
laser system is
priced at $2,395 for its basic model. The company markets the desktop laser machine as a 3D printer, although strictly it operates via a subtractive process performing cutting and engraving. The systems
8 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 29 • WINTER 2015 laser
depending on the model, design software, and an autofocus capability for laser processing curved surfaces. The CO2
wavelength allows the
machine to cut and engrave various materials; the promotional video shows it cutting cardboard, wood – even chocolate – and engraving an Apple Macbook. The company now just has to
deliver on all its orders. Shipment of its first models was planned for December 2015.
The Glowforge laser system can cut and engrave various materials
@lasersystemsmag |
www.lasersystemseurope.com
Glowforge
Tec Systems
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