Tag Archives: Hybrid Manufacturing

Diode Lasers in Cladding, Additive and Hybrid Manufacturing

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By Oleg Raykis

Today there exist a number of technologies for additive manufacturing of components.

The two most prominent types utilizing lasers for generating parts out of metals are either powder bed based solutions or direct energy deposition, often referred to as laser metal deposition. As a company Laserline focuses mainly on the second type. Depending on the application it allows you to produce larger part sizes with higher productivity (deposition rates and therefore higher productivity) due to the fact of not being limited by the size of the building chamber as it would be in the case of a powder bed machine. It is also much faster in many cases.

Laserline identified four main application areas for AM in which we operate and be described based on examples in this article. Those areas include, besides generating complete parts by terms of additive manufacturing, also repair welding application or hybrid machines – a combination of conventional machining and laser technology the fourth main application area would be providing functional areas on conventionally manufactured parts.

Additive manufacturing technology allows generating shapes and structures in a single production step with little material loss, post machining and tool wear (near-net-shape manufacturing). Thereby you can use material in powder or wire form. The advantage of using wire is that you will have a 100% material utilization; the compromise on the other hand might be the directional dependency when you supply the wire laterally and not coaxial. Pic. 1 shows an example of a free form application as a rocket nozzle demonstrator part made out of Inconel 625.

Pic.1 Free form powder AM of a rocket nozzle demonstrator (Source: Fraunhofer CLA)

The part was done without any type of process control. Another interesting example of AM with Titanium is shown in Pic.2.

Pic. 2 Ti64 powder AM with closed loop process control (Source: Fraunhofer CLA)

Compared to the rocket nozzle, process control was used when producing the demonstrator part in pic.2. The camera based system (in this case E-MAqS) is capable of measuring the size and temperature of the melt pool. Furthermore it can give feedback to the laser source and adjust the laser power accordingly to maintain the desired size of the melt pool. This in turn ensures consistent reproducible part build ups with no defects.

Another very interesting and promising approach is to integrate the laser source into machine tools. There are several hybrid machine tool concepts being developed; one of them is the combination of additive and subtractive tools which achieves a new level of manufacturing. One example is the merger of a laser with a 5-axis milling machine. The integrated diode laser deposits the powdered metal layer by layer, generating a solid, fully dense metal part. The following milling operations directly finish machines surfaces in areas necessary, without changing setup.

Pic.3 An example of a conventional milling machine with integrated AM technology (Source: DMG Mori-Seiki)

This flexible switch between laser and mill also allows the machining finish of areas, which would be impossible to reach on the final component. Designs with undercuts, internal geometries and overhangs without support structure are no problem. The manufacturing of completely new structures and designs are now possible. All weldable metals, which are available in powder form, can be used, for example steel, nickel and cobalt alloys as well as titanium, bronze or brass.

A third important field of AM from our perspective are repair welding applications. Probably the most prominent and widely industrially utilized are the repairs of turbine blades. Turbine blades in steam engines, especially in the first two rows, experience a lot of wear through erosion. Instead of replacing the whole part it is possible to repair the worn area by putting a couple of layers (mostly nickel / cobalt based super alloys) and machine them down to the finished surface, see Pic.4.

Pic.4 Turbine blade repair (Source: Fraunhofer ILT)

This remanufacturing procedure saves up to 90% of material and energy cost compared to manufacturing a new blade. Even though turbine blades are the most prominent example of laser repair welding a wide variety of other parts can be restored using the procedure, e.g. worm shafts, helical gears, molds, etc. to name a few. When speaking about additive manufacturing most people have the production of complete parts in mind. This doesn’t always have to be the case. Often it makes more sense from an economic standpoint to add to a conventionally (and relatively inexpensively) produced part functional areas where they are needed. Pic. 5 shows one such example.

Pic. 5 Extruder barrel demonstrator (Source: Fraunhofer CLA)

In this case 100 lbs. of hard and wear resistant Stellite 21 powder material was deposited on a metal pipe base structure to form the extruder thread. One further example of it can be functional layers on drill bits where sensors need to be shielded from magnetic interference. By creating heat resistant layers out of non-magnetic materials it is possible to place those sensors.Through a clever combination of the usage of conventional and additive manufacturing technologies it is possible to produce advanced parts without increasing the cost.

How LIA Corporate Members Are Innovating the Future of Manufacturing

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The Laser Institute of America aims to foster the future of laser applications. Many of our corporate members uphold similar ideals and they are working hard to advance the future of laser applications in manufacturing.

From the development of new life-saving products to building the future of transportation and researching the next steps in the additive manufacturing revolution, here’s what some of our members have been up to in the last year:

Buffalo Filter Launches Plume Pen Pro

With a 25-year legacy as a recognized surgical safety brand, Buffalo Filter recently launched the new Plume Pen Pro. The device is a surgical smoke evacuation pencil that offers surgeons the “flexibility and option of longer surgical smoke capture ports making the exchange of blades easy and plume capture tailored to plum length.”

The Plume Pen Pro, along with other products by Buffalo Filter, work to reduce surgical smoke inhalation and exposure. This keeps operating rooms safer with user-friendly solutions.

Image: Buffalo Filter

 

II-VI HIGHYAG’s RLSK Laser Featured in Industrial Laser Solutions for Manufacturing

A recent issue of Industrial Laser Solutions for Manufacturing featured a cover article on laser welding for the Ford Mustang, spotlighting II-VI HIGHYAG’s RLSK remote laser welding head. In developing the new Mustang, Ford needed a large-scale, single-sided joining method that did not possess the potential structural weakness of traditional spot welding. Ford then turned to remote laser welding, which not only solved the structural weakness issue – it created a measurable increase in productivity at the production plant.

Starting in 2015, the RLSK remote laser welding head was put into full use by Ford. Four were installed at the Detroit plant, joined by 24 additional structural remote laser heads for the vehicle’s production. Implementing these remote laser heads lead to a decrease in weld time, fewer station cycles, fewer welding robots, and an increase in overall production space.

Image: II-VI HIGHYAG

LPW Technology, Inc. CEO and Founder Discusses 3D Printing Opportunities in Aerospace

Machine Design Magazine recently published a piece on the use of 3D printing for aerospace applications. The article quoted various industry leaders and experts, including LPW Technology Founder and CEO Dr. Phil Carroll. Dr. Carroll addresses the increasing demand versus the quality control of metal powders used in 3D printing. In the early days of powder metal liturgy, the materials were essentially grounded up scrap metal, leading to a high chance of contamination. Contamination of a pure metal powder could lead to a compromised part down the line, because the offending particles may degrade over time.

To combat this, greater inspection and handling of metal particles is required. Working with Lloyd’s Register and TWI, LPW will be certifying powders for a joint effort to increase the adoption of additive manufacturing.

Image: LPW Technology

RPM Innovations, Inc. Working With Okuma America Corp. on Alternative to Combination Additive/Subtractive Manufacturing Processes

 Despite the overwhelming push for additive manufacturing processes across industries, there are still many cases in which traditional subtractive processes are the most effective solution. However, it does not always have to be a case of choosing one over the other, or even combining them.

With the assistance of their laser deposition machines, RPM Innovations and Okuma America are developing options for machines that allow individual operations to occur, by keeping processes in separate sections that link together. Rather than choosing one manufacturing method, or forcing them to overlap, separating the processes allows for differences in processing time, automation in loading and reloading, as well as the addition of other processes in the workflow.

Image: MMS Online

Spectra-Physics Introduces Icefyre

Earlier this year, Spectra-Physics debuted IcefyreTM, “a compact, high power industrial picosecond hybrid fiber laser.” The IceFyre is versatile in its process optimization and repetition rates, as well as pulse-on-demand triggering. It combines the power supply and laser head into a single, compact unit.

In the official news release, Spectra-Physics states that Icefyre is designed for precise manufacturing of sapphire, glass, ceramic, metals, plastics, and other materials. The Icefyre made its debut at the 2017 SPIE Photonics West.

Image: Spectra Physics

We are committed to sharing the latest news about our esteemed and innovative Corporate Members. To learn more about becoming a Laser Institute of America Corporate or Individual Member, click here.

 The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. Read about LIA or contact us for more information.

Metal 3D Printing: A Machine Shop’s 73 Year-old Journey in the Industry

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By Wesley Hart

Imperial Machine & Tool Co. took delivery of their first metal additive manufacturing (AM) machine in 2013 — a Selective Laser Melting system from SLM Solutions. The decision to invest was made after seeing one of these “metal 3D printers” in action, growing a component layer-by-layer from titanium. That demonstration made it clear to Imperial that this was powerful technology, and would play an integral role in the future of advanced manufacturing.

An SLM 280 HL and an SLM 280 HL “Twin-Laser” in Imperial’s additive manufacturing laboratory.

Over the last four years, the folks at Imperial have spent thousands of hours working with their additive machines. According to Christian G. Joest, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Imperial, that’s what it takes to be successful. “Metal AM has come a long way since its inception, but it’s not a turn-key operation; you’ve got to put in the time to master your machines and lock down your process. Early adopters must be willing to problem solve and learn along the way. We understood that, and decided to make the investment — even though the path forward was not entirely clear.”

The “dive-in” approach employed by Imperial has provided them with unique and useful insight — especially for those wondering how additive manufacturing will affect their own business. LIA invited Imperial to share some of their insight during a 30 minute presentation at the Industrial Laser Conference held at IMTS 2016. This article focuses on some of the key takeaways from that presentation.

Why Invest in Metal Additive Manufacturing?

Christian began the presentation by sharing some background on Imperial, and the primary reasons they decided to get into metal additive manufacturing.

“Imperial is a 73 year-old advanced manufacturing company. Since the 1940s, we’ve been known for tackling the most challenging machining and fabricating efforts in the industry. Our earliest work was for the military and we still do a large amount of work for the DoD, but over the years we’ve expanded to serve many other high-end sectors including the semiconductor, energy and optical equipment industries.

To be successful at challenging manufacturing projects, we rely on the most cutting edge manufacturing technology available; it’s one of the reasons we’ve remained competitive and relevant over the last seven decades and a big part of why we got into metal additive manufacturing. In the 40s that meant advanced Jig-boring machines, in the 70s it was CNC machining centers, and today it’s metal additive manufacturing. We wanted to get out in front of the technology.”

The second reason was more personal.

“The other reason we became involved in additive is because we’re a fourth-generation, family-run business. We consider investments in terms of decades and generations, and we believe metal AM will be required for success for the next generation of Imperial. We understood we wouldn’t see a financial return on our investment right away, but that wasn’t what was driving this decision; we wanted to begin developing expertise as early as possible.”

Christian went on to explain how the impact of additive will be felt across all industries in a variety of ways. For example, current Imperial customers working in laser and energy beam related industries are particularly interested in metal AM for the conformal cooling possibilities.

The Importance of Hybrid Manufacturing

As the presentation continued, Christian built to an important point, “It’s not just press print.”

Christian explained that customers are looking for high-quality end-use components. Additive manufacturing can help realize innovative new designs, but they are not pulled straight from the printer.

“Misconception comes with the territory; the technology is young. Most of the public doesn’t even know that printed parts are actually welded by laser to the build plate, and must be cut off!”

Precision machining a metal 3D printed component, part of the “Hybrid Manufacturing” approach.

To successfully yield end-use components Imperial had to develop a “hybrid manufacturing” approach — using their additive capabilities in conjunction with their traditional machining capabilities. For example, they might use their metal printer to manufacture a topology optimized hydraulic manifold with complex internal channels, but they still rely on high-precision CNC machining centers to mill special SAE threads and flatten critical mating surfaces. That’s in addition to the thermal conditioning operations Imperial performs to yield the best material properties. All of these steps must be planned and accounted for before manufacturing begins! This is a far cry from pulling an end-use component straight from the printer.

The Real-World Applications of 3D Printing

Christian went on to explain the education process that must occur when interacting with new customers; getting the most out of additive manufacturing requires an understanding of what it’s best used for.

“It doesn’t make sense to use a power drill when you need a hammer. A power drill may be a more advanced tool, but that doesn’t mean it’s better than a hammer. You’ve got to choose the right tool for the right job.”

The value of AM is not in making the same part designed for CNC machining on a metal printer, it’s in realizing designs never before possible. Christian spoke of how Imperial works closely with their customers to ensure they understand the reality of when additive manufacturing makes sense, and when it does not.

“Over the years we developed a list that breaks down the best applications for additive manufacturing, based on our experience with customers and our background in manufacturing. Our goal is to provide a strong foundation for our customers to continue exploring from. Once customers understand these applications, they begin to think on their own about how additive manufacturing can positively affect their business and industry.”

A Look Toward the Future

As the presentation wound down, the focus turned to what it will take for metal AM to become mainstream. “You’re all here today because you’re interested in additive manufacturing on some level. That’s the first step. Don’t be afraid to explore further. You’re in the right place, at the right time in history to be a part of this emerging technology. Embrace the opportunity.”

Metal additive manufacturing is already making a big impact for Imperial Machine & Tool Co. and their customers. How will metal AM affect you, and what you do?

Wesley Hart is the Marketing Director of Imperial Machine & Tool Co.