T '
laser technology »
,.'.. Top:Annular powder
' • injection system used
in DMLD techniques.
Powder streams converge
at or above laser focus.
Centre: Fine detail
produced using the DMLD
process. Wall thickness of
this deposit is 0.3mm,
Bottom: Intricate parts can
be manufactured using
SIM techniques
(reproduced courtesy of
MCP Tooling Technologies)
To discussyour potential
appljcztíons, to see a
demonstration or tofíndoat
more about Additive Layer
ManuActujing using lasers,
call Robert Scudamore or
Choon Yen Kongat TWI-
robeTtscudainore&twico.uk
or cboonyenJiong®twico.uk.
HowtheMCPRealizerll"
(Selective Laser ,.
Melting) works
741 MWP
focus
Many technological advances are unjustifiably overshadowed by the more
celebrated innovations of the last quarter century-the internet, the mobile
phone and the iPod. One of them is the laser....not the domestic type found in
your CD player, but its industrial cousin used in welding and cutting.
Additive layer manufacturing
TODAY lasers in manufkcturing are not only
commonplace but indispensible. At the forefront are two
developments, described as additive layered manufacturing
(ALM) techniques: Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and
Direct Metal Laser Deposition (DMD). The introduction of
ALM has brought a change in manufacturing practice
from a resource base to a knowledge base. It's enabled
manufacturers to move away from mass production of
single use products and introduce new mass-customised,
high value, long life-cycle products.
There are significant benefits over conventional
manufacturing techniques. New products can be brought
to market in a fraction of the time taken for traditional
'new product development' routes. Also, the life cycle costs
can be minimised because techniques can be used to extend
the life of existing components. Both of these particular
processes use lasers to melt powdered metals and allciys, but
this is where their similarity ends,
SELECTIVE LASER MELTING
In Selective Laser Melting, a laser beam fuses small
particles of metal powder held in a 'powder bed' to form a
mass representing a desired 3D object. The laser selectively
fuses the powder by scanning cross-sections generated
from a 3D CAD model of the part on the surface of the
powder bed. After each cross-section is scanned, the powder
bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of
material is applied on top, and the process repeated until
the part is complete.
The SLM systems at TWl have an integrated pre-heating
build platform, which makes it suitable for generating
components in crack-susceptible allqys, eg nickel-based
superalloys. One of the SLM units also features a unique
vacuum processing c^ability, allowing oxygen-sensitive
materials, such as titanium, to he processed. The system uses
200W fihre lasers which can be focused to a spot size of
40pm, and can build very fine 20|Um layers with an
atTKUbt» Matfomi
excellent surface finish and high density parts. Deposits
can be produced with <1% porosiiy, although greater
porosity can be engineered in if desired, for example, for
the introduction a lubricant phase to the deposit.
While the principal use for SLM systems is rapid
prototyping, common applications also include:
• Product development - Parts fabricated are used for
fitness and function testing. The process benefits when
there are engineering changes to a part design, where SLM
can produce a number of iterations for performance
evaluation.
• Low volume fabrication - Short-run production of
engineering components and highly customised parts can
be manufactured without tooling. The system can also be
used for so-called 'Mobile Part Hospital' applications in
remote areas such as war zones and outer space, to produce
tooling and spare parts.
• High value component - The process increases the
current material huy-to-usage ratios from as low as 10% or
less, in relevant industrial sectors, to approaching 100%
usage. All powder materials that are not fused to form a
part can be recycled and re-used. Nothing is wasted.
• Functionally graded structures - Parts can be fabricated
so that the material composition and properties are
gradually changed from one end of the part to another, for
specific purposes.
• Complex geometry object - As the manufacturing
process is not restricted by the design of tooling, almost any
complex shape objects can be manufactured using SLM
processes.
• Reverse engineering
DIRECT METAL LASER DEPOSITION
For DMLD, metallic powder particles are injected into the
laser beam at or above the workpiece. In this way molten
material is added to the workpiece as required. As with
SLM, a 3D CAD model is used to guide the laser to generate
an appropriate deposit. The powder is injected into the laser
beam using a pressurised inert gas via a deliveiy system,
consisting of either a single nozzle injection unit, a
multiple nozzle injection unit or an annular ring injection
system.
The lasers used vary in type and power depending on the
application. At TWl, DMLD is performed using a 2kW
CO2 laser and a 7kW Ytterbium fibre laser. The resultant
beams can he focused to spot sizes ranging from Ü.2mm to
2.Smni, thus making the process suitable for depositing
both fine details and bulk materials alike. The process suits
several applications from the repair of worn components,
original part build, hybrid manufacture and material
surfacing. These applications are relevant to a wide range of
industries, including aerospace, medical, defence, power
generation and oil and gas. www.twi.co.uk
may 2008