Beam Shaping Multi-mode Lasers & alsi10mg Performance Powder Launches Metal am to New Heights

A recent innovation in laser powder bed fusion gives manufacturers the print speed and surface finish characteristics needed to embrace metal additive manufacturing for a wider range of aerospace applications.

L-PBF can now produce larger sections at high build rates (~400 cm3/hr) and then switch to lower speeds and finer resolution for thinner features and better surface finishes.

At the heart of this new development is the capability to combine high-powered multi-mode lasers with beam shaping and dynamic process control. This technology employs broad, fast passes for rough shapes and fine beam paths for detailed features and smoother finishes.

Metal additive manufacturing is also experiencing a surge in new atomization techniques and breakthrough powder production technology. Equispheres AlSi10Mg Performance Powder is uniform in size, sphericity, and consistent microstructure and combines good mechanical properties with superior thermal properties and low weight. The resulting manufactured parts are smoother in surface and provide thinner oxide layers, suitable for applications from thermal management to lightweight structural components.

Participants will learn:

A brief overview of significant strides made in machine technology, process control software, and material development that have enabled faster build rates.

Parallels between advanced additive manufacturing and CNC machining.

The role of engineered powders in this new high-throughput process.

The talk will cover how the metal additive manufacturing ecosystem is coming closer to the model the aerospace industry is familiar with from CNC machining. It will also focus on the expanded capabilities of L-PBF, as well as the role powder plays in new high-speed processes for the automotive and aerospace industry.

Attendees will also learn how the unique properties of an engineered powder contribute to stable melting behaviour and faster printing. The outcomes presented are based on results achieved with NExP-1, a best-in-class, non-explosible AlSi10Mg powder from Equispheres, in cooperation with EATON Corp.