Additive Metal Manufacture

The process of Powder Bed/Additive Metal Manufacture is known by several names, most of which are trademarks of various machine manufacturers or research establishments. These include selective laser melting (SLM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), laser powder bed (LPB), and LaserCusing.

The process involves the selectively melting of a layer of powder placed on a supporting bed using a laser or electron beam. This is followed by lowering the bed and introducing an additional layer of powder. The process is repeated until a sufficient number of layers are formed to generate a complete 3-dimensional object.

Typically, a solid state laser source generating a spot of approximately 50 microns is typically used. Processing is normally undertaken under an inert gas atmosphere. With care, a full range of Nickel, Cobalt, Titanium, and Steel based alloys can be successfully processed. To date, little work to determine metallurgical integrity has been published, limiting most current applications to rapid prototyping or to the manufacture of small runs of non-critical components.

LPW Technology offers a complete range of metals powders suitable for use on all machines currently used in industry.
 

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