Laser processing

Metal 3D printing

Metal 3D printing is expected for use in manufacturing high-precision metal products that require strict quality standards.

Metal 3D printing is an advanced technology that uses metal materials to create metal parts in various shapes based on their 3D data. Metal parts can be fabricated in a huge variety of shapes by irradiating and sintering powdered metal materials such as titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel with a laser beam and then repeatedly forming layers of these materials.

Currently, metal 3D printing is beginning to spread across a wide spectrum of manufacturing processes for producing high-strength structures that are impossible to achieve with conventional molding and cutting techniques. Use of metal 3D printing is extending to fields including aviation parts, aerospace industry components, and medical equipment that are complex and require strict conformance with quality standards.

Challenges facing metal 3D printers

To further expand the market for metal 3D printers producing metal products having all types of varied shapes, these printers must be able to manufacture products with both higher quality and higher speeds. Currently, it takes from several hours to several days for most metal 3D printers to create just one object, although this also depends on the size of the object. This lost time prevents reducing the cost through mass production. One method to solve this problem is to install multiple high-power laser light sources in the equipment to improve takt time but doing that will make the equipment larger and more expensive.

LCOS-SLM achieves a takt time improvement

LCOS-SLM is promising as an optical device to solve the problems with metal 3D printers since it can freely control the phase of laser light. Incorporating an LCOS-SLM into the equipment allows branching a single laser beam into various shapes and multiple points. However, the laser light sources used for metal processing have very high power, so even higher light resistance than that required by ordinary LCOS-SLM is needed.

As the cover glass for LCOS-SLM, we have used sapphire having high thermal conductivity that is approximately 30 times better than that of conventional materials, allowing the heat in the liquid crystal layer to more easily transfer to the cover glass. Furthermore, the heat dissipation efficiency of the cover glass is improved by filling the LCOS-SLM package with a high thermal conductivity filler and also by optimizing the internal structure. This suppresses a temperature rise in the liquid crystal layer of the LCOS-SLM, resulting in successfully increasing the light resistance performance up to 700 which is the world’s highest level. Incorporating this LCOS-SLM into a laser metal processing machine will help to vastly expand the market for metal 3D printing by significantly improving takt time in metal 3D printers and bringing resultant cost reductions.

LCOS-SLM for laser metal processing (X15213-03CL)

Structure of LCOS-SLM head with high thermal conductivity

Phase modulation characteristics when LCOS-SLM for metal processing is irradiated with a laser of power over 700 W

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