On April 17, 2019, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool Co., Ltd. (MHI) announced the launch of a commercial metal 3D printer. This equipment uses directional energy deposition (DED) technology, and the first will be delivered to the newly opened advanced prototype development center of Shiga Prefecture Industrial Research Center. Here, it will be used to support advances in new product development and additive manufacturing.
MHI stated, "Looking ahead, MHI Machine Tool and Shiga Prefecture Industrial Research Center will work to expand the acceptance of their metal 3D printers in the manufacturing industry and develop new applications from the user's perspective, making laser processing systems their new The core entity of the business. "
Maintaining competitiveness of Japan's additive manufacturing industry
Founded in 2015, MHI is a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (MHI), which has more than 130 years of history in the engineering industry. The group covers 400 locations worldwide and operates primarily in the areas of power systems, industry and infrastructure, as well as aircraft, defense and space.
A new DED system, named LAMDA, has been developed at the company for many years, and the first prototype unit was launched in October 2017.
The process of DED is similar to the process of material extrusion, but in the DED 3D printing method, a nozzle supplying material particles or wires is mounted on a multi-axis arm. It can move in multiple directions instead of being fixed to a specific axis, and can feed the feed onto the target surface from any angle. The model is then built on the surface layer by layer from bottom to top. Control the shape of the 3D model by controlling the feed rate and the angle at which the wires or particles are deposited on the surface.
DED is specialized in making 3D models from metals and alloys, and is often used to repair and maintain structural parts. This technology produces high-quality 3D parts with few high-speed voids. Mitsubishi Electric believes that its new technology will increase productivity in a variety of applications, such as near-net-shape molding and stack repair of aircraft and automotive parts, as well as hollow and overhang shapes. The technology can also be used in series with parts produced using other manufacturing methods.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries LAMDA machine specifications
The first LAMDA machine provided by MHI was the LAMDA 200. Known by TRAFAM as an "entry level" machine, the 200 has a relatively small build area and measures 200 x 200 x 200 mm.
Two other versions of the machine, LAMDA 500 and LAMDA 2000, have been planned by the company, and the corresponding build area sizes are 500 x 500 x 500 mm and 2500 x 1400 x 1500 mm. Each machine can be configured to use 1, 2, 4 or 6 kW lasers as needed, and can transport material from up to two powder hoppers.
Now that the first machine can be put into practical use, MHI is now developing a range of monitoring feedback functions to help stabilize the process. The company is reportedly working on "manufacturing the shielding capabilities required for titanium alloys for aircraft and aerospace applications."