DMLS and Manufacturing

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) has been used for manufacturing prototypes, functional metal components and prototype tools for more than 10 years. During this period the technology has advanced to a level where direct production of complex metallic parts for various applications is everyday life and manufacturing with its various challenges is its main target. The shift from prototyping to production requires changes in the technology and also in the organizations taking part in the shift. This paper presents the latest status of the DMLS technology and materials development trends for different application areas using EOSINT M270 laser sintering machine. Commercially launched materials include presently biomedical materials like Titanium and Cobalt Chrome alloys, ultra high strength Maraging Steel alloy, Stainless Steels and other high-end engineering materials. In addition, there are many materials which have been developed for evaluation purposes, waiting for industrial applications.Mechanical Engineerin

Technical, Economic and Societal Effects of Manufacturing 4.0

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a relatively new manufacturing method that compiles different techniques to join materials together material on top of existing structure in order to make parts from 3D-model data—typically layer by layer. Additive manufacturing is a combination of different technologies such as CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided manufacturing), laser and electron energy beam technology, CNC (computer numerical control) machining, and laser scanning. Some of these technologies existed already in the 1950s, but only in the 1980s the maturity of the different technologies enabled the creation of additive manufacturing. The term additive manufacturing substitutes historical terms, such as solid freeform fabrication, freeform fabrication,and rapid prototyping and it is also commonly called 3D-printing in nontechnical contexts and in colloquial language.</p

Monitoring of temperature profiles and surface morphologies during laser sintering of alumina ceramics

Additive manufacturing of alumina by laser is a delicate process and small changes of processing parameters might cause less controlled and understood consequences. The real-time monitoring of temperature profiles, spectrum profiles and surface morphologies were evaluated in off-axial set-up for controlling the laser sintering of alumina ceramics. The real-time spectrometer and pyrometer were used for rapid monitoring of the thermal stability during the laser sintering process. An active illumination imaging system successfully recorded the high temperature melt pool and surrounding area simultaneously. The captured images also showed how the defects form and progress during the laser sintering process. All of these real-time monitoring methods have shown a great potential for on-line quality control during laser sintering of ceramics