New 3D Metal Printing Technique Combines Lasers and Advanced Robotics 26
An anonymous reader writes: A new alternative to rival other 3D metal printing techniques is being developed by a team of manufacturing researchers at the Southern Methodist University. Led by Professor Radovan Kovacevic, the group have presented a technique called Laser-Based Direct Metal Deposition (LBDMD) which builds on traditional FDM and laser technology to create high-quality metal objects as parts for a range of fabrication uses. The technology uses multi-axial positioning robotics which eliminates the need for a support structure and human intervention.
Very cool (Score:3)
I particularly like the way they rotate the part so that gravity is always pulling in the most convenient direction.
Makes the one I built look downright primitive.
Re: (Score:2)
so that gravity is always pulling in the most convenient direction.
Down?
What is new here? (Score:4, Informative)
Maybe I am missing something, but where is the big innovation in this? The company I am working for (DMG MORI - world's largest manufacturer of CNC turning and milling machines) already has a commercially available version of this (if you can affort it, machine is ~900k€ as far as I know):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9IdZ2pI5dA
In the linked article a lot of words are being spend, but in the Laser-Based Direct Metal Deposition (LBDMD) is nowhere really explained.
Can anyone clear this up?
Re: (Score:2)
I like the combination of both techniques DMG Mori is showing off... is there an english version of the video somewhere?
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Not that I know of. This is supposed to be a "tech advertisement" video created by our PR department, but the machine is definitely working and can be bought. I have seen it live on one of our bigger exhibitions, really amazing.
This big challenge with this new technology is definitely not the hardware - that part is "simple", as for the most part this is regular 5-axis milling machine based on the DMU monoBlock series.
But the established CAD/CAM software (e.g. Siemens NX, CATIA and the other big placers) as
Re: (Score:2)
Came here to post this. I've seen this bad boy and it is pretty much the ultimate machine. You can put the machines surfaces where you need it.
Hmm.... (Score:2, Interesting)
1) I'd expect problems with oxide inclusions unless they are going to use a lot of argon to shield the melt pool. Maybe they should look at coating the metal powder with small amounts of polyethylene to act as an oxygen scavenger above the fusion pool.
2) I'd expect to see a lot of thermal stresses in parts made by intermittently melting a small part of the surface. Annealing before surface machining would probably make sense.
3) Has anyone managed to create a powder explosion using metal dust? This looks li
Roboshark is comeing (Score:2)
Roboshark is comeing
Tech Tree Headline? (Score:3)
>> New 3D Metal Printing Technique Combines Lasers and Advanced Robotics
Anyone else think that headline sounds a lot like a mod for a Civilization tech tree?
Are the robots sharks? (Score:2)
How is this different from Mori Seiki's? (Score:3)
It seems they've been doing this [youtube.com] for a little while now. Basically, you build and mill the casted part in the same operation.