Fine-tuning for additive production

Additive manufacturing systems can generate highly complex components, which could not be produced with conventional machine tools or only with great effort. Nevertheless, such industrial 3D printers are far from being standard equipment in factories. This is not just due to the purchase costs, but also to many other challenges. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS Dresden, Germany, has developed particular solutions that included “COAXshield”, a local molten pool shield for laser powder build-up welding and the “LIsec” analysis device for controlling the powder flow in additive manufacturing processes.