Lasercusing

Lasercusing - saving costs and time from batch size 1. From CAD files direct to metallic function parts. Lasercusing allows metal components to be built from nowhere so to speak. Special laser equipment generates the completely utilisable engineering piece directly from the 3D-CAD data. Its resistance properties comply with those of the steel used as powder for the engineering process.

Lasercusing is an innovative process, only available within recent years, for the production of metallic work parts. In contrast to the traditional scouring work processes, the component is directly built from the 3D-CAD data. Therefore lasercusing is especially suited to work parts with complex geometry which are required in a batch size 1 or in small piece numbers; for example for the manufacture of unlimited resistant function prototypes, for complicated parts for special devices or for replacement parts which are no longer available.

As a pilot user, sauer product has been using lasercusing for ten years and has in the meantime gained extensive experience. Today, the company works with equipment of the second generation. This is characterised by comprehensive possibilities with the programming of the engineering phase, by higher values in engineering speed and accuracy grade. Furthermore, with this, different materials are processable.

On this lasercusing equipment, work pieces whose geometries are not feasible with other production processes are able to be manufactured. Saving time is more important than cost advantages.

A practical example for the use of lasercusing is the bearer and covering plate for a vacuum cleaner. From this seemingly simple component, a prototype for load and function testings was required – this prototype is conventional but only producible with an expensive multi-stage forming and punch tool. This is quite different with lasercusing. Based on the 3D-CAD volume model, the engineering process was programmed within one hour, the engineering time of the approx. 90 mm × 230 mm large bearer plate on the fully automatic working equipment amounted to 12 hours. Within one week after the receipt of the order, the prototype was available to the operator for testing.

More important than the saving of tool costs for the manufacture of the prototype was the high saving of time – for the engineering of the tool alone this could have lasted four weeks. Lasercusing made it possible to reduce the originally planned market lead-in time by about 15%. The prototype proved itself all round at the function testing. Essential in return is that the work pieces produced by lasercusing show the same mechanical properties as the conventionally processed original material. Lasercusing is especially suited to small parts and also to the manufacture of multiple pieces. So, for twelve production devices valve supports were required which would normally be produced by die casting. In light of the small number of pieces, lasercusing proved itself with time and cost standpoints as clearly superior. In doing so, it was possible without problem to produce all twelve valve supports in one single engineering process. Due to the extensive experience with lasercusing, sauer product can produce itself today work pieces with extremely complex geometry in a short space of time, at favourable costs and with the required accuracy for the application. At the moment high grade steel and a heat resistant steel are available as materials; within a short time aluminium and titanium will also be available.

This process is also called selective laser melting – in short SLM.