5 Axis CNC Mill + Laser Additive Hybrid (DMG Lasertec 65)

[nova_robotics]

This is a neat concept. I have questions with respect to the material properties of the finished part, and how cost effective the metal powder is, but it's a very neat process.

[BuffaloJohn]

I have read it is a pretty decent result, better than full machining in some cases.

[CanBeDone]

I have read it is a pretty decent result, better than full machining in some cases.

Haha - somebody has had you, and quite seriously. There is a reason why timber splits readily when tension is applied vertically to its growth direction, and why plywood and OSB (oriented strand bonded) timber is preferred instead of solid planks. It is called grain orientation. Take a look at this video

, which outlines some of the problems with 3D metal printing. Others, such as inclusions (e.g. arising from less-than-perfect oxygen exclusion during welding) have not even been mentioned. And porosity? Listen carefully when Hot Isostatic Pressing is mentioned in the video. And so on, and so on. Toughness, whether in the form of fatigue strength or impact strength, of an as-cast product, and 3D printing is simply casting without a mould, is always substantially poorer than what the same metal will be after porosity is removed via some decent forging / rolling.

[Frank S]

My thinking is that additive 3d printed parts will only become as strong as things that have been forged then machined, once they figure out how to bombard the part being grown with hundreds perhaps thousands of laser or plasma streams at the same time from as many angles of attack as there are laser emitters or plasma nozzles, with overlapping depths in a high-pressure chamber. If you think about how 3d printers function the growth currently comes from a single point of contact. if they come up with a way of creating multiples of these in varying frequencies of application while randomly controlling the depth of the penetration the cellular growth of the crystalline grains will be forced into the voids of adjacent crystals. Very similar to how metal ores were turned into useable metals by heating and beating the impurities out of the molten blobs called sponge.