Sintavia acquires AMCM M290-2 FLX 3D printer with nLIGHT laser system

Florida-based Sintavia, a leading AM parts manufacturer for the aerospace industry, has expanded its fleet of 3D printing hardware with the acquisition of an AMCM M290-2 FLX 3D printer. The industrial metal 3D printer, developed by EOS subsidiary AMCM, also integrates an nLIGHT AFX beam-shaping fiber system, making it the first machine deployed to a North American customer with this cutting-edge technology.

We wrote about nLIGHT’s advanced beam-shaping fiber lasers in some depth late last year in our Metal AM eBook. nLIGHT, a Washington-based company that specializes in high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers, has been working closely with EOS to integrate its technology into metal AM hardware to unlock greater process control and production throughput. This is achieved because nLIGHT’s AFX lasers can be programmed to different beam profiles ranging from 85 micron spot size to 210 micron ring profile. This programmability, which can be changed in real-time, allows users to benefit from exceptional resolution and faster printing rates within a single print.

The AMCM M290 FLX is to date the only metal AM system that has been validated with nLIGHT’s AFX-1000 lasers. In the case of Sintavia, the company purchased a two-laser system (1.2 kW lasers), the first of its kind in North America. “We welcome this new addition to our fleet of printers,” commented Brian Neff, Sintavia’s Founder and CEO. “Over the coming years as we develop and apply this new technology, we expect to be able to print our components at layer thicknesses of 150µm or more without losing any material properties, thus greatly increasing the output of our installed printers. The best part of the nLIGHT system, once it is fully tested, is that it can be retrofitted on other existing EOS and AMCM printers with minimal new equipment.”

nLIGHT’s programmable AFX lasers overcome challenges associated with more traditional Gaussian lasers. In brief, being able to program the laser beam shape and size means that more powder metal particles can be melted at once (the programmable laser can melt a diameter up to three times larger than standard lasers), without the loss of material performance. This has other knock-on benefits, including less soot and spatter generation. According to studies, nLIGHT’s beam-shaping lasers can minimize condensate by as much as 70% in the printing process. Another key benefit is that material performance can actually be improved through the printing of thicker layers, which can be particularly beneficial for applications with high creep requirements.

“We are always researching industry leading technologies to advance the industrialization of additive manufacturing to meet the emerging application demands and exceed customer expectations,” said Marie Langer, CEO of EOS. “The flexibility and performance gains of nLIGHT’s beam shaping and laser technologies gives us an unprecedented advancement in metal AM systems and will allow our customers to unleash a new level of productivity.”