Sintavia, a U.S.-based additive manufacturing service provider, has commissioned North America’s first multi-laser industrial 3D printer featuring nLIGHT AFX beam shaping fiber laser systems. Installed on a AMCM M290-2, the printer is equipped with twin 1.2 kW lasers, enabling modulation of beam spot size and shape without sacrificing power or material density. This advancement enhances productivity and material efficiency.
“We can think of no better home for the first dual nLIGHT system in the United States than Sintavia. With their vertically integrated additive manufacturing capabilities, including extensive testing labs, they are well-suited to develop and expand the applications of nLIGHT’s beam shaping technology,” said Martin Bullemer, Managing Director of AMCM, GmbH.
Brian Neff, Sintavia’s Founder and CEO, commented on the potential of the technology to enhance 3D printing capabilities. “As we refine and implement this technology in the coming years, we anticipate achieving layer thicknesses of 150µm or more without compromising material properties, significantly increasing the output of our printers. The best part of the nLIGHT system, once fully validated, is its ability to be retrofitted onto existing EOS and AMCM printers with minimal modifications.”
Advantages of Beam Shaping Technology Over Traditional Methods
Beam shaping technology enhances laser efficiency in powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing compared to conventional Gaussian distributed laser systems. While uneven distribution of energy can cause spatter—deteriorating part quality—beam shaping enables more precise and efficient energy delivery. This technology facilitates the melting of fully dense material at diameters more than three times larger than standard lasers. As a result, it allows for doubled or tripled layer thicknesses without any loss of material performance.
Moreover, beam shaping technology reduces condensate production, a problematic byproduct in the PBF process, by up to 70%. This not only minimizes waste but also enhances the grain structure in the z-direction, leading to improved material performance, especially for applications exposed to high creep requirements.
Advancements in Beam Shaping for Metal 3D Printing
Beam shaping technology is not yet widely adopted, but Philipp Kohlwes, Head of L-PBF at Fraunhofer IAPT, told 3D Printing Industry that it is a key area to watch for the future. One notable advancement in beam shaping technology is nLight’s introduction of the Corona AFX-2000, a two-kilowatt beam shaping laser capable of delivering twice the power of conventional lasers while ensuring process stability. This higher power output improves productivity and cost efficiency for manufacturing high-quality parts.
In another development, Equispheres and Aconity3D utilized laser beam-shaping technology in 3D printing to achieve build rates nearly nine times faster than typical industry standards. By employing Equispheres’ NExP-1 aluminum powder in an AconityMIDI+ LPBF 3D printer, researchers attained printing speeds exceeding 430 cm³/hr using a single laser.
To further enhance the process, a PG YLR 3000/1000-AM laser was modified with beam-shaping capabilities. The application of a shaped beam over a zoomed Gaussian profile helped reduce overheating and spatter formation, improving the efficiency and stability of high-speed 3D printing.
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Featured image shows Sintavia’s Multi-Laser Industrial 3D Printer. Image via: Sintavia
