LaserCusing Technology

LaserCusing-technology was developed specifically for the mouldmaking industry. This is why components produced by LaserCusing can be used without any restrictions in moulds for plastic processing and in light metal diecasting applications. In addition, any conventional finishing method such as milling, turning, grinding, polishing, coating, nitride surface hardening, etc., can be applied to parts made by LaserCusing.

LaserCusing is sometimes initially confused with direct metal laser sintering technology (DMLS) from EOS GmbH or 3D Systems, Inc. However, there are huge differences that make LaserCusing suitable for applications in mass production tooling where sintered parts simply can’t compete:

  • Sintering technology is based on partially melting a polymer-coated steel powder. The pores that form in the process must be filled with copper or bronze using secondary operations to obtain a fully-dense component. LaserCusing, on the other hand, puts many times the energy used in laser sintering into the powder-bed. This completely melts the steel so that fully-dense parts and components are directly formed and it allows a single-material, pure steel powder to be used, as well.

  • The scanning head inside the LaserCusing machine is actuated by 2 linear motors, just 4" (10cm) above the powder bed. This provides exposure accuracy for both outside contours and the interior region of a part. This is much more accurate than laser sintering technology where the scanners are positioned about 14" (35cm.) above the powder bed. Accuracy is required not only for dimensional precision, but also for porosity-free fabrication. The guaranteed overlap between sequential laser exposures in LaserCusing’s design is also an important feature in providing porosity-free parts.

  • LaserCusing works with a patented parallel-scan laser exposure method. This fabricates parts with a homogeneous material structure having very low, well-distributed, internal stresses. Sintering machines, on the other hand, are built to make metal parts as quickly as possible without taking material structure into consideration. This frequently causes parts to have internal stresses which result in defects when they’re used at elevated temperatures.

Because LaserCusing machines are built modularly, not only can they fabricate parts, but they can also perform laser milling and 3D laser-engraving using a pulsed-mode laser.

 

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