Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has new 3D printing technology

LMD technology differs from conventional 3D printing methods - such as the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology used at Protolab - primarily in the way the metal powder is applied. While in SLM technology the material is sintered by a laser beam in layers and the product may exhibit porosity, in LMD technology, which was recently acquired by the Department of Mechanical Technology, the powder is melted by a central laser carried in a protective gas atmosphere before it hits the surface of the part. This creates a fully metallic bond of the formed coating layers.

The advantage of the newly acquired technology is also the possibility to produce larger parts that could not be produced in the 3D printing chamber (SLM technology) due to its limited size. In addition, compared to the additive manufacturing technology WAAM (Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing), which is also being explored by experts at the Department of Mechanical Technology, LMD technology has less heat input into the part. The lower heat load on the parts therefore ensures lower deformation and lower residual stresses.

The new equipment from LaserTherm company will be used by the department for science and research purposes and will also be used for teaching students. "The equipment is already involved in two National Centre of Competence research projects. Students will encounter it mainly in their master's studies, from the preparation of mathematical models to the actual production," explained Professor Ivo Hlavatý from the Department of Mechanical Technology.