The 7000 series aluminum is the newest addition to the LENS 3D DED metal printers’ process recipes.
3D printing electronic solutions developer Optomec recently added the 7000 series aluminum to its list of metal additive alloy materials for its LENS 3D DED metal printers. This material is often used in high-stress components for the likes of aircraft landing gear thanks to its high strength capabilities. According to the company, its new 7000 series aluminum is developed using its latest LENS laser deposition head (LDH) technology, which can now also be found on the company’s LENS 3D metal printers. This technology allows for the laser-heated region’s size and profile to be easily adjusted depending on the alloy material used. Optomec hopes to meet the demand for 7000 series aluminum in 3D metal additive manufacturing applications for the industrial and aerospace sectors.
Optomec first unveiled its LDH variable optics system back in October 2019. The technology can create three discreet focused spot sizes. This is designed to accommodate changes in laser power, allowing it to support various laser power outputs ranging from 500 W to 3 kW. Manufacturers can then easily control laser power density during processing. This ensures optimal build quality while leveraging higher and faster laser power for a variety of metal additive manufacturing parts and applications. The technology is also equipped with an advanced cooling system, preventing overheating even when operating at high powers for long build times and cycles.
The company is also offering ready-to-use process recipes for easy integration by manufacturers. Developing a process recipe can typically involve extensive and time-consuming tests and experimentation before arriving at the final product. This includes powder screening, process development and tuning, samples production, mechanical testing, and metallurgical analysis, among other processes. Optomec’s process recipes will allow additive manufacturers to repeatedly print and deploy alloys much quicker, speeding up the production process.
Besides the all-new 7000 series and other aluminum alloys, these recipes include a variety of commonly used alloys such as basic steels (titanium), superalloys (Inconel), corrosion-resistant alloys, wear coatings, thermal barrier coatings, and thermal-conduction alloys (copper). The print recipes can be used for different additive manufacturing applications such as thin-walled, high-resolution prints as well as bulk deposit versions as starter recipes. Manufacturers may also request that Optomec create part-specific production recipes for components that require particular end-user geometries.
“We can develop new material recipes much faster now,” shared Lucas Brewer, head of Optomec’s Applications Engineering Group in Albuquerque. “Our new deposition head technology is really the key to getting the DED process to print these new alloys in a repeatable way for our production customers. It’s opened up a ton of new applications for Metal Additive Manufacturing.”
Currently, there are over 200 LENS 3D DED metal printers installed in different sectors, including manufacturing, government agencies, and universities. The introduction of the 7000 series to Optomec’s alloy lineup and set of process recipes is expected to optimize production performance and reduce product costs for additive manufacturing applications.
The company is currently working on establishing “Print Libraries,” which will offer print geometry for specific common LENS applications such as turbine blade repair.
For more information, visit Optomec’s official website.
