By Andrew Albritton As seen in LIA TODAY LASER ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM), as it pertains to powder based manufacturing, is a technique that utilizes the interaction of lasers and base materials to construct a product, rather than removing material from a pre-constructed block of material. LAM is quickly approaching the critical […]
Laser Materials Processing
Superhydrophobic and Superhydrophilic Functionalization of Engineering Surfaces by Laser Texturing
By Suwas Nikumb, Peter Serles, and Evgueni Bordatchev As seen in ICALEO 2017 and LIA TODAY Nature is a bountiful source of inspiration to advance innovative surface functionalities, processes, and technologies for engineering materials. For example, the super-hydrophobic surface characteristic of the lotus leaf can be recreated by mimicking the microstructure and surface energy […]
Recap: CO2 vs. fiber laser shootout by Cincinnati Incorporated
In case you missed today’s CO2-vs.-fiber shootout by Cincinnati Incorporated using its 4,000-watt CL440 CO2 and CL940 fiber lasers to cut identical parts side by side, here’s a quick rundown. Performed at the company’s Customer Productivity Center in Harrison, Ohio, about 20 miles west of Cincinnati, this demonstration by the longtime LIA exhibitor used their machines […]
Powder-bed machine’s journey symbolizes N.J. firm’s path toward additive manufacturing
As RAPID 2014 wraps up today in Detroit, revisiting the journey of an SLM 280 powder-bed fusion machine purchased at last year’s event by Imperial Machine & Tool of Columbia, N.J., illustrates some of the motives driving U.S. manufacturers toward additive technology. Imperial is heavily involved in advanced manufacturing — particularly for the Department of […]
Non-Disruptive, Low Loss In-Line Laser Beam Monitoring System for Industrial Laser Processing
By Michael Scaggs and Gilbert Haas The BWA-MON (Beam Waist Analyzer MONitor) system is a “smart” focus head that provides “real-time” laser beam measurement, analysis and monitoring of low to very high power lasers in accordance with international standards ISO11146 and ISO13694 related to lasers without disrupting the laser beam in use and with minimal […]