More than two years ago, GE bought 75% or more of Concept Laser, a leader in metal 3D printing. Since then, he has been working to improve and design Concept Laser's M LINE FACTORY 3D printing system, software, and design architecture to align with established processes. GE Additive recently announced that its first Concept Laser M LINE FACTORY system will be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.
M LINE Factory's automated production model is excellent and can promote the development of industrial mass production. This is an unattainable level for most standalone device solutions today. With technological innovation, the demand for high-quality 3D printing equipment is also increasing.
M LINE FACTORY's modular machine technology forms the core of Concept Laser's "AM Factory of Tomorrow" concept, which also provides the conditions for the upstream and downstream stages of the production process and links to traditional manufacturing methods .
As the application of additive manufacturing moves from prototyping to production, the demand for 3D printing equipment by manufacturing users is increasing, and the demand for production floor space and the operator required to run production lines are also increasing. GE Additive said that existing stand-alone 3D printing solutions can hardly achieve economic mass production, and M LINE FACTORY's modular machine architecture provides excellent automation and reliability, and the system will promote the industrial scale of 3D printing Application for mass production. Existing stand-alone machine solutions rarely allow economical mass production. However, in contrast, M LINE FACTORY's modular machine architecture provides excellent automation and reliability, which drives industrial-scale economies and scalable mass production. The M LINE FACTORY system will provide interfaces to traditional manufacturing methods in the form of automation, interconnection and digitization.
This "smart factory" is a flexible expansion, advanced automation and centrally controlled meta-production system, fully focused on the production task at hand, thereby enabling economical mass production of additive manufacturing metal parts.
"G LINE FACTORY will have a huge positive impact on customer operations," said Jason Oliver, president and CEO of GE Additive. "It is important that we provide reliable advanced technology systems to create more value for our customers, and M LINE FACTORY happens to deliver on this promise."
The maximum processing size of M LINE FACTORY is 500 x500 x400mm3 (x, y, z axis), and one to four laser light sources can be selected. Each laser light source can provide 1000 W power. During the test period, GE Additive improved the automation and in-machine architecture of the 3D printer, and enhanced the ease of use, modular system design, equipment maintenance, process control, and thermal stability.
In fact, setup, disassembly, and parts production are completed in two independent devices. The two devices can be separated or combined according to the customer's preferences instead of sequential production, which increases output, improves efficiency, and reduces Downtime.
Other features of M LINE Factory LPS include:
1. The superimposed effect of the processing area is enhanced, which improves the laser productivity;
2. Equipped with front-loading conveyor system for internal automatic transportation;
3. Flexible configuration, equipped with an integrated screening station for powder management and pre / post processing, to achieve automatic production upstream and downstream.
M LINE FACTORY LPS (laser processing station)
500 x 500 x 400 mm3 (x, y, z) build envelope (further increase z-axis in development)
Laser power: 4 x 400 or 4 x 1,000 W.
The core of the unit consists of three independent modules; the powder module, the building module and the overflow module-which for the first time can be activated separately-and does not form a continuous unit. These modules are transmitted automatically via an internal transmission system
Front-loaded transport system or automatic internal transport system
Increased overlap in build area increases potential for laser productivity
Flexible configuration allows build and processing time to determine LPS to MHS ratio
Easy to transport: uniform size and interface for all modules
Maximum floor space efficiency: Ability to stack machines in series
M LINE FACTORY MHS (material handling station)
Handling unit for pre / post-treatment and powder management with integrated screening station
High safety standards
Full powder and inert gas seal with automated module capping system
Non-contact powder treatment throughout the process
No manual processing required in the processing room
Water flooding of filters