Monthly Archives: April 2015

Additive Manufacturing with High-Performance Materials, Lightweight Structures by Laser Metal Deposition and Infiltration

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By Frank Brueckner, Mirko Riede, Thomas Finaske, André Seidel, Steffen Nowotny, Christoph Leyens, Eckhard Beyer

Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) is used for repair/redesign as well as for manufacturing of new parts. Thereby, wire or powder filler material is reabsorbed in the laser-induced melt pool resulting in a strong metallurgical bond with the subjacent substrate in combination with a low dilution. Among various applications, LMD is an attractive process for jet engines to improve performance and efficiency as well as to contribute to more sustainability. In addition to design methods, such an improvement can be realized by lightweight structures and high-performance materials. Figure 1 shows the specific strength as a function of the temperature of high-performance materials. Since PMC structures are very important in the first stages of a jet engine, TiAl, Ni-base superalloys as well as CMCs are more relevant in hot engine areas.

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AM Building Value: 3D Printing Forecasts Bode Well for Lasers

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By Geoff Giordano

While news appears almost daily to highlight the latest novel item that might be capable of being produced with 3D printing, getting a handle on the value of opportunities in industrial additive manufacturing markets can be difficult. But a compelling picture is forming thanks to recent data.

By 2025, 3D printing could be worth $550 billion a year, according to a projection by the McKinsey Global Institute as related by John Dexheimer, president of LightWave Advisors. While the consensus is that additive manufacturing can’t replace subtractive processes, the medical, automotive, aviation and power generation industries are pushing additive manufacturing to its limits to produce patient-specific implants and high-value components in aircraft, cars and gas turbines. Continue reading →

Process, Powder & Parts: America Makes, BMW, Siemens Among Firms Sharing Latest Additive Successes

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By Geoff Giordano

With roughly 50 percent of the audience attending for the first time, LIA’s seventh Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM®) Workshop fueled enthusiasm for laser-based 3D printing processes with a robust, real-world view of the state of the technology. Continue reading →

Micromachining of Thin CFRP with UV-PS Laser Pulses

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By: Masayuki Fujita and George Okada

It is well known that Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) has attractive features like high-durability, high-strength and light-weight. These features have been stimulating the CFRP to be applied for a wide variety of applications. For example, by using the CFRP as a body material of aircrafts and automobiles, higher fuel efficiency and hence lower carbon emissions in transportations has been realized. Also, in sports and recreation, items such as fishing rods, golf club shafts and tennis rackets heavily incorporate CFRP.

There are two types of carbon fibers (CFs), PAN-type and Pitch-type (http://www.carbonfiber.gr.jp/english/ material/type.html). The PAN-type CF, which is almost amorphous carbon, has high tensile strength and high elastic modulus and is commonly applied for structural material composites. On the other hand, the Pitch-type CF, which is almost graphite, has ultra-high elastic modulus and is adopted in high stiffness components such as robot arms to handle large glass panels. Anisotropic Pitch-type CF has very high thermal conductivity (200-800W/mK), which is comparable to or higher than copper. Furthermore, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the Pitch-type CFRP is extremely low (-1.3×10-6℃), which is advantageous to dimensional stability in high temperature environments.

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LAM 2015: Real World View of the Future in AM & 3D Printing

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Orlando, FL (April 1, 2015) – Held in Orlando for the first time in its seven-year history, LIA’s Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) drew nearly 200 attendees, about half of them first-time participants who got a real-world view of the profit potential and pitfalls of industrial 3D printing.

Featuring speakers from BMW, Siemens, GE Global Research and the Fraunhofer institutes, LAM 2015 showcased how researchers, powder suppliers, laser manufacturers, job shops and national initiatives are cooperating to advance applications in various industries. From unique job shop successes to visions of printing human tissue, attendees were treated to a broad range of expert knowledge March 4-5 — including state-of-the-art strategies to eliminate cracking, clad large parts and build high-value components.

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