ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING In association with
Laser-based additive manufacturing: Complex geometries, material savings, shortened supply chains
www.lasersystemseurope.com/applications/additive-manufacturing
A summary of the types of laser-based AM, the industries it serves and the many benefits it offers
Laser-based additive manufacturing (AM) is a process in which a laser beam is used to fuse or melt successive layers of wire or powder material together to create a 3D object. The material used can vary, from high-strength metal alloys to thermoplastics and resins, and the process can be used to create complex shapes with high precision. The technique has several
advantages over conventional manufacturing methods, such as moulding or machining. One major benefit is its ability to create complex structures with optimised geometries that would be difficult or even impossible to produce using conventional techniques. In addition, the high precision and accuracy of the
Powder bed fusion is one of the most common types of laser-based AM
process helps reduce the need for post-processing, all while minimising material waste and energy consumption compared to traditional manufacturing methods. It is also very automatable and customisable, having been deployed successfully for rapid prototyping and the
ability to produce small-medium batches of customised parts cost-effectively. In recent years however, the process has also become repeatable and productive enough to enable it to be used for large-scale production, which is starting to occur in industry. The technology enables
Green and blue lasers are well-suited to producing complex copper parts due to their visible wavelength being better-absorbed than that of infrared fibre lasers
34 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE THE 2023 GUIDE TO LASER SYSTEMS
products to be created on demand, using only the necessary materials and without the need for assembly. It can be used to dramatically shorten the supply chain, enabling parts to be produced locally and quickly. This not only reduces the cost and time required for production, but also reduces the cost and environmental impact of part/ material storage, transportation and waste. This makes the technology particularly attractive to the many manufacturers currently looking to reduce the impact their operations have on
the planet. It could also make such firms more resilient to issues related to stressed supply chains caused by, for example, the pandemic or the conflict in Ukraine. The use of laser-based AM
techniques for the production of parts also eliminates the need for expensive tooling. This can be particularly beneficial for small production runs, where tooling might account for a significant proportion of manufacturing costs. Tooling can also take a long time to design and manufacture; thousands of parts could be produced using laser-based AM in the same time it takes for a single tool to be created.
History
One of the first systems for AM was patented by Chuck Hull in 1986, and conducted a process that he called stereolithography
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