Semiconductor and fiber laser specialist nLight will launch its new Corona AFX-2000 two-kilowatt beam shaping laser at Formnext 2024. Designed to enhance laser powder bed fusion 3D printing, nLight claims that its new laser will significantly boost the productivity of metal additive manufacturing.
Featuring dynamic laser beam shaping technology, the new AFX-2000 can reportedly deliver double the power of other lasers while maintaining a stable production process. According to nLight, this elevated power unlocks higher productivity and lower production costs for high-quality parts.
The new beam-shaping laser system has already undergone successful commercial validation with an undisclosed customer supporting the aerospace, defense, and automotive markets. This customer has reportedly used the AFX-2000 to 3D print aluminum components three times faster than leading large-format 3D printers.
“The exclusive beam profiles of the AFX-2000 have brought L-PBF print speeds to exciting new levels while maintaining precision, control and material quality for laser powder bed fusion,” explained nLight’s Chief Technology Officer, Rob Martinsen. He calls the AFX-2000 “the most versatile and efficient laser available for metal AM.”
Visitors to Formnext 2024 in Frankfurt can experience the AFX-2000 first-hand at the nLight booth (hall 12.0, E102).
Read all the news from Formnext 2024.
During the show, nLight will also host a multi-day seminar series called Powered by Beam Shaping. This will feature insights from industrial 3D printer manufacturers including 3D Systems, Aconity3D, AMCM, DMG Mori USA, EOS, and Nikon SLM Solutions. According to nLight, the series will highlight new applications being unlocked by nLight’s Corona AFX beam shaping technology.
New AFX-2000 beam-shaping laser
The Gaussian profile of conventional 3D printing lasers poses challenges for industrial 3D printing. In an interview with 3D Printing Industry, Philipp Kohlwes, the Head of L-PBF at Fraunhofer IAPT, explained that their high-power concentration creates uneven energy distribution. With too much energy in the middle, this profile can vaporize material or create pressure gradients around the melt pool which causes spatter and damages part quality.
Laser beam shaping in metal 3D printing overcomes these issues by manipulating the laser beam profile into different shapes before sintering the metal powder. These shapes unlock more even energy distribution in the melt pool. According to Kohlwes, this can improve 3D printing process stability by 40%.
Martinsen explained that the dynamic beam-shaping technology in the new AFX-2000 lasers unlocks “productivity-optimized” switching between ring beam profiles. These donut-shaped profiles are reportedly optimized for “fine-scale features and contour exposures,” enabling impressive build rates and part reproducibility.
The AFX-2000 is currently in production and will be offered in nLight’s modulus platform. This integrated multi-laser system is designed to facilitate high-productivity LPBF 3D printing. It reportedly simplifies the integration, control and serviceability of multi-laser 3D printers, while maximizing machine utilization and reproducibility.
nLight is confident that the AFX-2000 will be widely adopted by those 3D printing with highly reflective alloys like aluminum and copper. These materials benefit from stable, high-brightness laser processing. “The AFX-2000 will enable our customers to meaningfully reduce part costs for high-volume manufacturing,” added Martinsen.
Beam shaping enhances metal 3D printing
Thanks to its value in enhancing LPBF 3D printing, beam-shaping has witnessed increased commercialization and adoption throughout the metal additive manufacturing industry. Earlier this year, nLight agreed to supply Munich-based 3D printer manufacturer EOS with its AFX programmable 3D printing beam-shaping lasers.
Through the joint strategic cooperation, the lasers are available on EOS’ metal 3D printers. nLight’s programmable AFX lasers offer seven different donut-shaped beam profiles ranging from 85-micron spot size for precision contours to a 210-micron ring profile for enhanced process stability and reduced soot and spatter. These profiles are now accessible via EOS software and can be altered during 3D printing, with adjustments able to be made in under 30 ms.
Additionally, Formnext 2024 will also see the German research organization Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT showcase its own new 3D printing beam shaping technology. Developed in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University, the new test system is designed for the investigation of complex laser beam profiles.
It can create customized beam profiles for LPBF 3D printing to enhance part quality, process stability and productivity while minimizing material waste. Previously, the creation of complex profiles beyond ring or rectangle shapes has been limited by technological restraints. Fraunhofer IAPT’s new platform reportedly overcomes these limitations, facilitating the creation of new beam profiles which meet specific application needs.
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Featured image shows a render of a ring-shaped laser beam profile. Image via nLight.
