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____________________________________________________Press Release | Presseinformation | Communiqué de presse | Comunicado de prensa | Comunicato stampa | Пресс-релиз | Imprensa | Persbericht | Notatka prasowa
█ Powder-bed-based laser melting with metals (LaserCUSING ® )
Concept Laser presses home the point in 3D: In parallel rather than sequentially – economical series production in the “AM Factory of Tomorrow”
Concept Laser launches new modular machine architecture with numerous innovations that can be interlinked however you want
Unique features: Up to 4 x 1,000 W laser power, build envelope 400 x 400 x >400 mm3, automatic tool changeover and time-saving coating process
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Lichtenfels (Germany), September 15, 2016: The Industry 4.0 strategy is having a tangible impact on 3D metal printing. With the new 3D metal printing machine technology and the vision of the “AM Factory of Tomorrow” that lies behind it, Concept Laser is raising the Additive Manufacturing of metals to the level of a “smart factory”. This fundamentally new, modular and flexible approach enables automated, digitized and interlinked industrial series production. The basic idea is to decouple “pre-production” and “production.” Both tasks can now be carried out in parallel and physically separately from one another. From the perspective of the company from Lichtenfels in Germany, the maxim for the future is to operate in parallel rather than sequentially. The move away from “stand-alone” solutions is making Additive Manufacturing faster, more cost-effective and more industrial. Flexibility and availability will increase. Manufacturing can now be scaled optimally for any task. The new machine architecture from Concept Laser is regarded as the starting point and basis for the “AM Factory of Tomorrow” to enable the economical series production of metallic parts.
With an ambitious and consistent focus on optimizing the digital process chain, the new
machine architecture from Concept Laser promises to set a new milestone in industrial
3D metal printing. With the integration into the machine environment, decoupling and
automation of process stages, the lead times until the finished 3D part is ready are
massively reduced. Oliver Edelmann, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing: “As a
trend-setter, Concept Laser is once again providing different solutions to the
competition. And this is a good thing too. With its new machine architecture, Concept
Laser will again set a milestone and benchmark in the Additive Manufacturing of metallic
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parts. This approach follows completely new paths and enables economical series
production. We want to significantly enhance the added value for our users.” With
several unique selling points, the company from Lichtenfels really wants to revolutionize
industrial 3D metal printing.
Uniqueness: 400 x 400 x >400 mm3 build envelope with up to 4 x 1,000 W laser powerFollowing formnext powered by TCT 2016, the next milestone for Concept Laser will be
the commercial availability of the new machine architecture based on the vision of the
“AM Factory of Tomorrow.” In the future, the trend-setter Concept Laser will offer stand-
alone process stations for the build process. They will have a build envelope of 400 x
400 x >400 mm³ equipped with 1 to 4 laser systems using multilaser technology with
variable focus diameters encompassing 400 W to 1,000 W laser sources. This
demonstrates the enormous strength of the machines from Concept Laser which is
taking industrial series production to new levels. Also integrated in the machines is a 3D
scanning system which enables real-time adjustment of the laser spot with diameters of
from 50 – 500 μm. An available redundancy of the lasers will ensure that, if one laser
fails, the remaining three lasers will still cover the entire build plate – the build job can
therefore still be completed.
World premiere: New coating process and tool changing system The new machine concept has an innovative 2-axis coating system. It allows the coater
to return in parallel with the exposure. This dual function results in a considerable time
saving during the coating process without the spatter problems that usually arise in the
market today with systems that coat in both directions. This innovative approach
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combines the advantages of intelligently used multilaser technology with a desire for
maximum quality. The coater blades, optionally made of rubber, steel or carbon, can be
changed automatically during the build job. An automated tool changing system, as is
the case with CNC machine technology, promises a high level of flexibility as well as
time advantages when setting up the machine, and reduces the level of manual
intervention by the operator.
Decoupling of “pre-production” and “production” The new machine architecture is characterized essentially by decoupling of “pre-
production,” “production” and “post-production.” This includes among other things
flexible machine loading and physical separation of the setting-up and disarming
processes. The objective here was to coordinate the process components in a more
targeted way with interfaces and increase the flexibility of the process design to create
an integrated approach. This becomes possible thanks to a consistent modular structure
of “handling stations” and “build and process units” which, in terms of combination and
interlinking, promises considerably greater flexibility and availabilities. It will also be
possible to handle the present diversity of materials better, and ultimately more
economically, through a targeted combination of these modules. For example, in future
the machine user will be able to use the modules to very precisely “customize” the
production assignment in terms of the part geometry or material. All in all, the level of
efficiency and availability of the production system will be markedly increased, along
with a significant reduction in the amount of space required. Simulated production
scenarios have in fact shown that this space can be reduced by up to 85% compared to
the possibilities that exist at present. In addition, the laser power per square meter of
area used is increased seven-fold.
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Movable modules as a linkThe material storage facility, the process unit and the unit for collecting the excess
material were previously connected together in a fixed manner. The result of this is that,
for example when new powder needs to be supplied, the build process has to be
interrupted, which in turn leads to the downtimes that have been mentioned. The new
approach now envisages dividing these three sections into individual modules. These
modules are independent of one another and can be controlled individually. The
modules are moved via a tunnel system inside the process or handling station. When
new powder is supplied, for example, the empty powder storage module can
immediately be replaced by a new module in automated fashion without the build
process necessarily needing to be interrupted. Finished build jobs can now also be
moved out of the machine with the dedicated module and replaced directly by a new
prepared build module so that production operations can be resumed immediately. What
is remarkable is the direct link between these modules without the use of any pipes or
tubes and their identification via RFID interfaces. Accordingly, the result is a reliable flow
of materials with high material throughputs along with great flexibility when there is a
need to supply different types of materials for the build process and handle them.
Concept Laser envisages largely automated AM factories in the future. The transport of
material or entire modules can be envisaged as being done by driverless transport
systems. This will then be the next step in the development. Additive Manufacturing can
be automated to the maximum extent. An automated flow of materials results in fewer
personnel being required. But it also palpably reduces the workload for operators as the
powder-filled modules can weigh several hundred kilograms.
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New software architecture: Transparent process monitoring with CL WRX 3.0 software suiteA new software architecture has been designed for controlling and monitoring machine
components and the flow of data. It combines MDL (machine data logging) with ODL
(operating data logging). At the same time, it organizes the flow of data across the entire
digital process chain. CL WRX stands for “Concept Laser Works.” The integrated tool is
intended to offer the Additive Manufacturing workers transparent process monitoring,
active process configuration and automation through to component documentation.
Logging the relevant characteristic data for a highly dynamic process quickly is always
very important for the user. This makes it possible to see the amount of powder
remaining, check the build progress, interpret error messages or see pending
maintenance tasks in advance. At the same time, CL WRX 3.0 offers interfaces for
incoming CLS data, automation tasks and links to the company’s ERP systems. Additive
Manufacturing is therefore integrated into the operational environment.
VerdictFour innovative features are the main characteristics of the “AM Factory of Tomorrow”:
The new machine architecture is noted for a large build envelope of 400 x 400 x >400
mm3, maximum laser power of 4 x 1,000 watts, a new coating process that saves time,
and an automatic tool changing system. But the key element is the modularity and the
resulting flexibility of the new machine solution. The process station and handling station
can be combined as you require, but process stations and handling stations can also be
operated physically separate from one another. Any desired interlinking and
combination of the individual machines or elements of them is thus possible. The
consequence is increased flexibility and availability, along with a significant reduction in
the amount of space required and a considerable increase in the laser power per square
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meter of space used. In addition to the interlinking, automation is the second key
element. Processes which were previously manual, such as supplying new metal
powder or reworking the parts, and the downtimes resulting from this are reduced to a
minimum. Modules which for example supply new material to the machines or send
finished build jobs to the downstream manufacturing steps are automatically moved to
the required position. This delivers considerable savings on time and costs, which
ensure the required level of economic efficiency in series production.
The new machine architecture results in the overarching scenario of the “AM Factory of
Tomorrow,” which also envisages linking up with traditional manufacturing methods, e.g.
in the post-processing of the components. The concept consistently implements the
basic idea of Industry 4.0 with a focus on delivering a “smart factory” and meets the
demand of industry for interlinked machine solutions that allow the economical series
production of additively manufactured metal parts.
Print approved – ask for copy
Captions ████████████████████████████████████████
Caption 0: Oliver Edelmann, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing: “As a trend-
setter, Concept Laser is once again providing different solutions to the competition. And
this is a good thing too. With its new machine architecture, Concept Laser will again set
a milestone and benchmark in the Additive Manufacturing of metallic parts. This
approach follows completely new paths and enables economical series production. “We
want to significantly increase the added value for our users.”
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Caption 1: Schematic representation of the new 2-axis coating process: While the coater
is returning, it is now possible for exposure to take place at the same time. This saves
time and ensures a clean coating process as the coating process only operates in one
direction.
Caption 2: Basic idea behind the new machine architecture from Concept Laser:
Decoupling the handling unit and process unit.
Caption 3: Option for combining a handling station with two process stations.
Caption 4: Several handling stations may form a central metal powder preparation unit.
Caption 5: Workflow of the CL WRX 3.0 software modules.
Caption 6: Linking together the “AM Factory of Tomorrow”: The “smart factory” is a
flexibly expandable, high-grade automated and centrally controllable meta production
system which is focused fully on the production assignments in hand and aims to deliver
industrial series production.
All pictures courtesy of Concept Laser (unless indicated otherwise)
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Concept Laser trade show appearances ███████████████████
MSV, Brno (Czech Republic) - October 3-7, 2016
30.BI-MU, Milan (Italy) - October 4-8, 2016
DMS Show, Osaka (Japan) - October 5-7, 2016
Pragodent, Prague (Czech Republic) - October 6-8, 2016
OTD, Bergen (Norway) - October 18 -20, 2016
Lasertagung, Jena (Germany) - October 27 -28, 2016
Formnext powered by TCT, Frankfurt (Germany) - November 15 -18, 2016
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Contacts ███████████████████████████████████████
Concept Laser GmbHAn der Zeil 8
D-96215 Lichtenfels
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 9571 / 1679-0
Internet: www.concept-laser.de
Press contact:Daniel Hund
Phone: +49 (0) 9571 / 1679-251
E-mail: [email protected]
LaserCUSING® background information ████████████████
Key word: LaserCUSING®
The patented LaserCUSING® process from Concept Laser is used to create high-
precision mechanically and thermally resilient metallic components. The term
"LaserCUSING®," coined from the C in Concept Laser and the word FUSING, describes
the technology: The fusing process generates components layer-by-layer using 3D CAD
data.
In this process, fine metal powder is melted locally by a high-energy fiber laser. The
material solidifies after cooling. The contour of the component is created by redirecting
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the laser beam using a mirror redirection unit (scanner). The part is built up layer by
layer (with a layer thickness of 15 – 500 μm) by lowering the bottom of the build
chamber, applying more powder and then melting again.
Source: Concept Laser GmbH
What makes systems from Concept Laser unique is stochastic control of the slice
segments (also referred to as "islands") which are processed successively. This
patented process ensures a significant reduction in stress when manufacturing very
large components.
Concept Laser at a glance ██████████████████████████
Concept Laser GmbH in Lichtenfels, Germany is today, unlike almost any other
company, one of the real pioneers and key drivers of powder-bed-based laser melting
with metals. The technology driver here is the patented LaserCUSING® process, also
referred to as 3D metal printing, which over the course of 15 years has evolved the
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Additive Manufacturing of 3D parts from a rapid technology to the stage of industrial
series production.
When Frank Herzog founded Concept Laser GmbH in Lichtenfels back in 2000, a metal
laser melting machine was an entirely unknown variable in the market. How is a 3D
shape created from metal powder using a laser? What does 3D printing or a digital
process chain mean for manufacturing of the future?
The answer was industrial machine technology. Concept Laser unveiled the first
machine of this type at Euromold in Frankfurt in 2001. With currently 65 patents granted
and about 120 patent applications, Frank Herzog and his workforce of 190 employees
continue to champion and develop the LaserCUSING® process. The company caters to
the global market for laser melting machines across all different sectors from sites in
Germany, the US and China and through a network of more than 35 distribution and
service partners.
Concept Laser's high quality standards and expertise in processes, applications and
materials deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions which prove their effectiveness in
everyday production and are primarily aimed at reducing part costs. In addition to the
commercial aspects, the process offers a large number of other benefits compared to
conventional methods of production. The components are lighter, the designer has new
areas of freedom, topology and geometry are optimized, additional functions can be
integrated and less raw material is required. This means that components which were
previously manufactured using machining processes are now being redesigned to fully
exploit the new potential offered by Additive Manufacturing.
Concept Laser offers a range of small machines (50 x 50 x 80 mm3) right through to the
machine with the world’s largest build envelope (800 x 400 x 500 mm 3). Machines from
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Concept Laser equipped with multilaser technology are among the fastest, safest and
highest-quality laser melting machines in the world. With about 650 installed machines
and prestigious references and projects of this Franconian “hidden champion” around
the globe send out a clear message and stand for outstanding technology for the future
sealed with the endorsement "Made in Germany."
For example, today's aerospace industry, automotive industry, medical technology,
dental technology, toolmaking and other sectors focus strategically on 3D metal printing
as the economical and high-quality production strategy of the future which embraces the
notion of "Industry 4.0."
Prizes & awards ██████████████████████████
2001 Presented with the EuroMold Silver AWARD for the M3 linear
LaserCUSING® machine
2008 Presented with the Bavarian Innovation Prize for the M2 cusing
LaserCUSING® machine
2012 Presented with the EuroMold Bronze AWARD for the X line 1000R
LaserCUSING® machine
2014 BAVARIA’S BEST 50 prize winner
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2014 Finalist in the "Large Companies" category for the German Industry
Innovation Prize in the form of Frank Herzog, Managing Director of
Concept Laser GmbH
Project: "The first 3D-printed titanium component on board the A350 XWB"
2015 The "European CEO of the Year Additive Manufacturing" award was
presented to Frank Herzog, Managing Director of Concept Laser GmbH
2015 Nominated for the German Future Prize, which is awarded by the German
President for technology and innovation
Project: "3D printing in commercial aircraft engineering – a manufacturing
revolution is taking off" in the form of Frank Herzog, Managing Director of
Concept Laser GmbH
2015 FOCUS Growth Champion
2016 Winner of the International Additive Manufacturing Award with the QM
Meltpool 3D quality monitoring tool, which was developed in-house
The art of LaserCUSING® by Concept Laser
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