Add, remove material in single setup with milling, metal deposition unit

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About the deposition process

The machine features a diode laser mounted in place of a cutting tool, and the material is added by spraying metallic powder into the laser beam, melting the powder in layers into the base material, the company explained, noting that the powder is fused to the base material without porosity or cracks.

The metal powder forms a high-strength weld joint with the surface. After cooling, a metal layer develops that can be machined mechanically.

DMG Mori said that while the laser deposition technology is nothing new, it is a reliable and proven process, which makes it suited for integration into the company’s CNC machines, such as those from the DMU, NT and NTX series. “The combination of conventional and additive manufacturing methods will take on increasing significance, as it offers a number of advantages as compared to stand-alone solutions,” the company said.

A strength of this process is that it can be used to create a number of similar or differing metal layers, which can then be machined to the required accuracy before the next layers are added and the area would not be accessible for cutting. Hence, the hybrid solution makes sense for repair work and the production of moulds and dies, the company noted, but it also offers an interesting option for other applications, especially in the field of large part machining, where other additive manufacturing techniques cannot be applied.

The machine is said to allow for the processing of all common metal powders, including steel, nickel and cobalt alloys, brass or titanium.

When in operation, the laser head is located by a HSK interface in the milling spindle. It can be automatically swivelled to a protected parking area when the machine is used for milling. The control for the laser process is located in a separate cabinet which makes it easy to integrate the system into other machines of the DMG Mori group.

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