Tag Archives: LAM 2017

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.

LAM 2017: Connecting the Dots from Simulation to Implementation of Laser Additive Manufacturing

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By Michelle L. Stock 

Industry veterans and newcomers from over 10 countries gathered in Houston for LIA’s ninth annual Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM®) Workshop to participate in the premier laser additive manufacturing event. The two-day meeting was comprised of invited talks and keynotes, along with a vendor showcase. About one-third of participants were at LAM for the first time, reflecting strong enthusiasm—from engineers and developers—to learn more about laser-based additive manufacturing (AM).

The two-day meeting was comprised of invited talks and keynotes, along with a vendor showcase. About one-third of participants were at LAM for the first time, reflecting strong enthusiasm—from engineers and developers—to learn more about laser-based additive manufacturing (AM).

The Program: Keynotes on Commercial Trends & Simulations

LAM General Chair, Prof. Milan Brandt of RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia), along with Workshop Co-chairs, John Hunter of LPW Technology (Pittsburgh, PA) and Prof. Minlin Zhong of Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), constructed LAM 2017’s program to highlight trends and applications of primarily metal AM, as well as key aspects of design, materials and technologies that enable those applications. Brandt stated that he intentionally emphasized powder-bed AM this year because “laser additive manufacturing approaches such as powder fed cladding as well as wire-fed AM are fairly mature and the materials and processes are generally well-understood. Today, we are still in the relative infancy of selective laser melting in powder-bed systems although industry titans such as GE and Siemens are increasing the adoption rate.”

On that theme, the workshop opened with a Keynote titled “Accelerating the Additive Revolution” by Greg Morris of GE Additive. To date, GE has invested $1.5 B in powder-bed based AM tool manufacturers and estimates a large market for AM, predicting that it will sell 10,000 AM tools worldwide over the next 10 years. Morris, a pioneer in laser-based AM, provided examples of production successes such as the well-known LEAP fuel nozzle tip, which GE is currently ramping to 40,000 parts per year by 2022. The lessons learned in making nozzles have been applied to an advanced turboprop that was made up of 855 parts by traditional methods, and can now be created from only 12 printed parts. Even with AM’s incredible promise, Morris noted that it will take a change in design mindset to achieve the full promise of AM, and that may be the biggest challenge for many companies.

Stryker’s Keynote on Additive Manufacturing of Medical Implants was presented by Marc Esformes, from the Advanced Technology Group in Stryker’s Orthopedic Division. Esformes provided some history and the current status of Stryker’s adoption of AM for medical device manufacturing. In the 2000s, Stryker began to investigate AM and initiated its own R&D efforts. As of 2013, Stryker started selling AM-based orthopedic implants, and now offer devices for the hip, knee and spine.

Biocompatible surfaces are key to medical implants, and Stryker found that it could create the proper surface structure and replicate it identically from part-to-part faster and more reliably using laser-based AM than previous methods. They also found that the bone growth process was much faster with AM printed parts than with their traditional polymer-coated implants.

Wayne King’s Keynote on Day 2 focused on results of extensive efforts to improve qualification of parts produced using laser powder-bed fusion AM by applying physics-based models. King, a widely recognized expert and Director of AM Materials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) described the multi-scale modeling efforts of his team, focusing on powder scale and parts-scale models. The powder scale model has become so powerful that it can now predict phenomena that was unanticipated, as well as nearly every spark and splatter occurring in the powder-bed and melt pool. The parts-level model predicts manufacturing properties in 3D. Even with such powerful simulation tools, there is work to be done to create more complete simulations of every step from design to part.

The Program: Presentations on Design, Materials, Technology & Applications

LAM 2017 included many high-quality talks from academia and industry that addressed subjects critical to commercial adoption of laser-based AM, from digital tools, to materials, to tools for quality assurance. Highlights from the program included presentations about:

• Materials for laser-based AM from Arconic, LPW
Technology and Tekna
• The status of software development for laser additive
manufacturing from Laser Zentrum Nord and Autodesk
• The prospects of and need for online process control from
the University of Michigan
• Technologies that enhance laser-based AM from
various solution providers such as Plasmo, Haas Laser
Technologies and Coherent

Turning to applications, while the use of laser-based AM is relatively well-known in aviation and medical devices, talks from Siemens and Baker Hughes reminded attendees that other industries—such as Power and Oil & Gas—are already making headway in the adoption of this revolutionary technology. Ingomar Kelbassa shared updates from Siemens’s AM activities related to gas turbines, including their first serial/spare parts using selective laser melting, and a positive outlook to future implementation.

A theme that came through during the workshop is that laser-based AM is just a part of the broader manufacturing toolkit that includes subtractive, non-laser based processes. This was illustrated in talks presenting tools that actually incorporate laser AM processes with drills that can then create features on an AM part without the need for removing the part and loading it on to another tool. As developers continue to explore the best ways to implement AM in prototyping and production, many more innovations in the process of implementation will undoubtedly occur.

To round out the program, a session on Micro-Nano Additive Manufacturing offered insights into new directions for laser based AM. Robin Day of RTWH Aachen University described methods for obtaining finer features and extremely small metal-based devices, while Prof. Minlin Zhong of Tsinghua University introduced his vision of new devices with increased functionality—envisioning a whole suite of sensors for commercial and personal-medicine applications, enabled by graphene-based AM.

Connecting it All Together with Suppliers to Achieve the Best LAM to Date

An important feature of the LAM Workshop is an exhibition of the tooling, components and materials that are featured in the presentations. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with suppliers that provide solutions throughout the workshop, but especially during the Exhibitor Reception at the end of the first day. With companies ranging from powder providers, sensor and beam delivery suppliers, and laser manufacturers, to full solution providers, attendees were able to check out the latest equipment that could help them realize their laser-based AM projects.

Wayne Penn of Platinum Sponsor Alabama Laser stated that the workshop is “a must-exhibit event” for his company, and as a sponsor since the very first LAM, he has demonstrated his commitment as an early and strong supporter of the industry. Gold Sponsors American Cladding Technologies and IPG Photonics both concurred, with IPG’s Bill Shiner declaring that “LAM is a great platform for sharing the latest in laser additive manufacturing, and it will be important to continue to get the word out to end users that LAM is where they will find the latest information to help them make the decision to move to AM.”

The workshop provided an opportunity for those who are still on the fence about how and when to add AM to their manufacturing capabilities, to speak with those who have adopted the technology and developers, including academics, R&D engineers and commercial suppliers. As LIA’s Marketing Director, Jim Naugle, commented: “With that range of access, LAM is by far the best event in the Additive Manufacturing space for those who are considering laser-based AM.”

Prof. Eckhard Beyer, an LIA Board Member and Managing Director of Fraunhofer IWS (Dresden, Germany), and a longtime expert on laser-based material processing, summed up LAM 2017: “This was the best LAM conference, and possibly the best conference I have attended over the past 10 years.”

With such a ringing endorsement, remember to bookmark www.lia.org/LAM to stay up-to-date about next year’s 10th LAM Workshop!

The Top 5 3D Printing Innovations at LAM® 2017

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Considered by many to be one of the biggest manufacturing revolutions of this century, 3D printing has captivated and intrigued individuals in a wide spectrum of fields and industries. From the independent crafter to the leadership behind some of the biggest companies in the world, to some of the most prestigious universities, it is safe to say that the future is 3D printed.

The Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM) last month helped emphasize that point, with some of the most-talked-about presentations revolving around 3D printing innovations.

Five 3D Printing Innovations You May Have Missed at LAM 2017

1. GE Plans to Go Full Vertical by 2022, Plans Parallel Supply Chain

It is no secret that GE is investing ample time, resources, and funding into its additive manufacturing

Attendees hear about the latest AM Innovations at LAM 2017 in Houston

initiatives. The company has created additive manufacturing applications across multiple GE businesses and has earned over 300 patents in powder metals used in the additive process.

During the Accelerating the Additive Revolution keynote on Day one of LAM®, GE Additive’s Greg Morris revealed that the company plans to become fully vertical by 2022. Concerning the supply chain, Morris does not believe that the current methods will be replaced immediately. Instead, both traditional and additive manufacturing methods will exist side by side. The company is continuing its focus on being a user and developer of additive manufacturing capabilities, as demonstrated by the willingness to integrate the technology alongside existing practices.

2. OPTOMEC Debuts New LENS Machines- Making Additive Manufacturing Affordable

A challenge for many industries looking to join the 3D printing revolution is the anticipated cost of equipment. At LAM, OPTOMEC debuted a potential solution to this issue with their new LENS machines. The three new LENS systems use lasers ranging from 500W to 4kW to create 3D structures. Prices start at under $25,000; a price point that puts 3D printing capabilities into the hands of more people.

The systems are designed to help reduce the process time and cost while increasing the quality and capability for design changes- or in simpler terms, all the qualities that entice industries to explore additive manufacturing in the first place. The new systems join the existing line of LENS machines and will fill gaps in demand for low-cost additive systems, thus making the 3D revolution more accessible and affordable than ever.

3. Stryker Discusses the Future of Custom Printed Implants

“We can design anything,” Marc Esformes of Stryker, told the audience at LAM®. Stryker’s additive manufacturing efforts are revolutionizing the future for medical implants, through their focus on 3D printing to develop innovative medical devices.

Esformes discussed the potential for custom, 3D printed implants that would take a matter of weeks from 3D scan to 3D printed part. The 3D printing process allows for a more biocompatible implant, reducing the chance of rejection and infection in patients, a point of great interest for the future of Stryker’s medical additive manufacturing applications.

4. Fraunhofer Discusses Low-Cost SLM Systems

Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) lead two presentations at LAM® 2017. One of which discussed selective laser melting, an additive manufacturing process that is potentially an economical choice for 3D printing of parts.

The cost of production using SLM Systems relates less to the complexity of the part, and more about the physical volume. The systems allow for individualization, as details can be altered before the part begins production. Should the SLM process be utilized from concept to completion, the utilization could be game changing for parts manufacturing.

5. Siemens Aiming to Reduce Production Time, Using More AM Machinery, With Less Risk

Siemens has made significant waves with their adoption of additive manufacturing processes. At LAM, Ingomar Kelbessa discussed the company’s approach and plans toward increased 3D printing adoption.

In a just under two years, Siemens was able to develop an entire process chain to optimize their gas turbine blades. The system lead to a 90% reduction in lead time, through the use of 24 additive manufacturing machines. Siemens hopes that this reduced time and increased flexibility with the manufacturing of parts can lead to greater customer satisfaction and parts-on-demand.

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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. To learn more about LAM 2017 and the LAM Workshop by LIA, visit the official workshop website.

 

LIA’s Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) 2017 Explored Top Innovations, Insights in the 3D Printing Revolution

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Notable names in Additive Manufacturing, including GE Additive’s Greg Morris and Marc Esformes of Stryker, gathered in Houston, TX for the two-day event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 14, 2017 – The Laser Institute of America’s 2017 Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) took place February 21–22 in Houston, Texas. Researchers and industry leaders from all over the world came together to discuss the latest advances and future challenges within the world of laser additive manufacturing. The two-day event featured
presentations, exhibitors and ample networking opportunities for attendees and industry professionals alike.

“LAM offers its attendees the opportunity to create lasting relationships with key individuals in their industry,” said Jim Naugle, Marketing Director with LIA. “This year was no exception.”

Attendees hear about the latest AM Innovations at LAM 2017 in Houston

Presentation Highlights

Conference General Chair Milan Brandt of RMIT University addressed the conference, officially kicking off the event.

“Laser systems are at the heart of metal additive manufacturing technology,” says Brandt. “This year’s conference provided an opportunity for those involved with laser technology to explore the latest progress and challenges in additive technology, including the latest in Nano-additive technology and medical applications.”

The workshop opened with a keynote presentation from GE Additive’s Greg Morris, titled Accelerating the Additive Revolution, which highlighted the additive manufacturing efforts led by General Electric, including the company’s plans to be vertical by 2022. In regards to the future of additive manufacturing as a whole, Morris suggested that while the current supply chain will not be immediately replaced, a definite shift is occurring, with co-existence happening in the foreseeable future. He added that laser additive manufacturing has revolutionized jet engine production, reducing 855 individual parts down to 12.

Representing the medical side of additive manufacturing, Marc Esformes of Stryker presented Additive Manufacturing of Medical Implants. As a part of one of the pioneering companies utilizing additive manufacturing for medical devices and tools, Esformes emphasized the potential for revolution when it comes to using AM for life-saving medicalpurposes.

“We can design anything,” Esformes said, in reference to how implants can be custom designed by doctors, for patients using additive manufacturing. “Custom implants can go from 3D scan to 3D part in just a few weeks.”

Our final keynote, Simulation and Modeling of the Metal Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process, was presented by Wayne King of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

and focused on results of extensive efforts to improve qualification of parts produced using laser powder-bed fusion AM by applying physics-based models. King, a widely-recognized expert andDirector of AM Materials at LLNL described the multi-scale modeling efforts of his team, focusing on powder-scale and parts-scale models.

The powderscale model has become so powerful that it can now predict phenomena that was unanticipated, as well as nearly every spark and splatter, occurring in the powder-bed and melt pool. Even with such powerful simulation tools, there is work to be done to create more complete simulations of every step from design to part.

Exciting Developments Unveiled at LAM

Dr. Wayne King of LLNL speaks at LAM 2017

Sponsor and attendee Optomec featured the new LENS Machine Series for metal additive manufacturing applications at the event. The LENS series comes in three models and combines Optomec LENS Print Engine technology with standard CNC Vertical Milling platforms, making metal AM technology more accessible and affordable.

While using #LAM2017 on Twitter, attendees, vendors and presenters alike shared their thoughts and photos from the event. LAM 2017 provided two days packed full of knowledge and innovation in laser additive manufacturing, kicking off a new year of progress for both lasers and additive manufacturing technology.

For more information regarding LIA conferences and workshops, like LAM, please visit www.lia.org/conferences. For the latest updates regarding conferences, industry developments, and all things lasers, visit and subscribe to www.laserstoday.com.

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.

 

 

LAM 2017

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Become Part of the Laser Additive Manufacturing Revolution

By Michelle L. Stock

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has already made big headlines this year as companies such as GE and Ford have announced major initiatives. These headlines hint at the ways that AM processes will impact the manufacturing world and reinforce expectations that an increasing number of production parts will be produced using them. What’s more, metal additive manufacturing has become the fastest growing segment of additive manufacturing as processes mature and the economics of the industrially-available tools become more compelling. As AM makes further inroads in many major industries, LIA’s Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM®) Workshop provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet with leaders in the development and deployment of laser-based additive manufacturing.

LIA is the world’s premier and oldest organization promoting lasers and their applications and is in its ninth year hosting the LAM Workshop which will be held on Feb. 21-22, 2017 in Houston, TX. Well-known as an aerospace hub and home to strong medical and energy (including both traditional and renewable) sectors, the Houston region has become one of the top ranked US manufacturing cities and provides an ideal setting for advanced manufacturing meetings.

How do Lasers Impact Additive Manufacturing?

As LAM 2017 General Chair Prof. Milan Brandt explains, “The laser has played a pivotal role in the growth of metal AM systems globally in the last few years and will continue to do so in the future. Because it is at the ‘heart’ of metal AM technology, laser developments in terms of power, efficiency, beam quality and reliability parallel the growth and application of metal AM systems globally.”

Brandt continues, “LAM 2017 will provide an opportunity for national and international practitioners involved with laser technology to discuss and explore the latest topics, challenges and progress in additive technology and applications.” He adds that, “the new hot topics include nano-additive technology, medical applications and new software tools.”

Figure of a model of a bone and pelvis with lattice type titanium implant designed and manufactured at RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing.

Figure of a spinal Ti lattice-based disc in a model of deformed lumbar vertebrae. The disc was manufactured at RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing and implanted into a patient in 2015.

This year, LIA has tapped Brandt of RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia) as General Chair, along with John Hunter of LPW Technology (Pittsburgh, PA) and Prof. Minlin Zhong of Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) as Co-Chairs. Brandt brings 30 years of expertise in laser material processing to his work in additive manufacturing processes. Hunter is an expert in powder manufacture for additive manufacturing. Zhong has a wealth of experience in laser micro- and nano- fabrication and laser surface engineering. With their background and knowledge, this year’s workshop chairs have prepared an outstanding program that builds on past LAM Workshops, provides the latest updates, and peaks into the future.

The Program: AM Trends, Technologies, Applications & Something New

The LAM program will kick off with an overview of Trends in Laser Additive Manufacturing by major companies with high visibility to the state-of-the-art in additive manufacturing. The keynote presentation will be from Greg Morris discussing Accelerating the Additive Revolution. GE’s already extensive activities in AM are undergoing a period of rapid evolution as new acquisitions such as Concept Laser are integrated. A pioneer in the use of AM for medical devices, Stryker Corporation, will be represented by Marc Esformes who will speak about Additive Manufacturing of Medical Implants. Arconic (formerly Alcoa) has also been deeply involved in AM as a material provider and John Barnes will close the session presenting Arconic’s Additive Manufacturing is about the Making.

The first day sessions will continue with speakers from both academia and industry who will provide details on the building blocks of AM: materials, structures and design. To finish off the first day, the final session will focus on a new and exciting area of AM for micro- and nano- structures, and includes a talk on laser printing of graphene.

Day two will focus on technologies and applications. Wayne King of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will start the program off with a keynote on Simulation and Modeling of the Metal Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process. Dr. King is an expert on the transition from conventional manufacturing methods to metal additive manufacturing, and LLNL has been a leader in simulation of laser-based AM. The program will continue with the latest updates on monitoring of AM processes and beam profiling and includes talks by Fraunhofer IWS and Siemens.

World-class Networking

One of the highlights of LAM 2017 is the Exhibitor Reception, which caps off the first day of the Workshop. It provides an informal chance to interact with speakers, attendees, and also with LAM’s sponsors, including Alabama Laser, American Cladding Technologies, Inc., Fraunhofer USA, IPG Photonics Corporation, Laserline Inc., LPW Technology, Inc., Optomec,  OR Laser Technology, Inc., Polymet Corporation, Praxair Surface Technologies and TRUMPF Inc. The exhibition will include many key additive manufacturing suppliers. The Reception provides time to network, time to recharge over drinks and food, and most importantly, a chance to find solutions to your additive manufacturing challenges.

“This isn’t just a workshop,” said Jim Naugle, Marketing Director with LIA. “This is an opportunity to establish lifelong business relationships with experts in their respective fields. Our goal is for attendees to leave with more than business cards, we want them to leave with business partners.”

The Must-attend AM Event

LAM 2017 will provide attendees with depth of knowledge in the major laser-based processing technologies, as well as the latest applications and trends. This is the go-to event for laser additive manufacturing. Don’t miss out — visit www.lia.org/lam for more information and to register today. See you in Houston!