3D Metal Printer Enhanced for Faster Manufacturing

The Lens 860 Hybrid Controlled Atmosphere (860 CA) system from Optomec Inc. has a large build volume and supports high laser power, providing more capabilities for high-quality metal hybrid manufacturing. The product has an 860- × 600- × 610-mm work envelope, is equipped with a hermetically sealed build chamber that maintains oxygen and moisture levels below 10 ppm for processing reactive metals. The system can be configured with closed loop controls and a 3-kW fiber laser, making it ideal for building, repairing or coating mid- to large-size parts with superior metal quality, according to the company. In addition to the 860 CA model, three more configurations are available. The Lens 860 Hybrid Open Atmosphere (860 OA) system provides an ideal platform for processing non-reactive metals. These two additive-only models round out the large format machine tool series of Lens systems.

All machine tool series systems incorporate the company’s 3D metal printing technology, which has been enhanced for higher power and faster additive manufacturing. According to the company, a key advantage of the hybrid configuration is the ability to use the milling capability to perform finish machining on a printed part without refixturing or aligning the component on a second machine.

The 860 CA system is said to provide versatility, with the ability to print fine-features for thin wall structures and perform wide area cladding for wear coating applications. The company’s specific software enables five-axis build strategies that combine additive and subtractive operations in a single tool path. A range of material starter recipes are available to help speed adoption with the system.