M A R C H / A P R I L 2 019 W W W. I N D U S T R I A L - L A S E R S .

C O M

Ultrashort-pulse
laser drilling
Reducing laser additive
manufacturing costs
Additive manufacturing
in Eastern Europe

Joining plastics
to metals

1903ILS_c1-c4.indd 1 3/6/19 11:59 AM

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AM
 V O L 3 4 I N O . 2

MARCH/
A P R I L 2 0 19

A robot-guided
spot-welding gun for
metal-thermoplastic
connections is
shown. (Courtesy:
Fraunhofer IWS)

P.
18
Features
14 application report 22 application report

Optimized additive manufacturing Laser beam shaping for

for lightweight metallic components innovative applications
Recycled aluminum powder enables a cost- Why laser beam shaping is necessary
effective process AHMED MA AMOUN for microdrilling with ultrashort-pulse
lasers SAMI L AROUI
18 application report

Laser joining process yields metal- 24 technology report

thermoplastic hybrid parts Laser additive manufacturing

Adhesive bonding and laser remote moves forward in Eastern
technology join plastic to metal Europe
ANNET T KLOTZBACH Several companies are adopting the
technology, but more R&D is needed
EVGENY MOLCHANOV

Departments
5 Update

27 Calendar

27 Ad Index

28 My View

Then and now

W W W. I N D U S T R I A L- L A S E R S . C O M

DABbling
A blog by DAVID A . BELFORTE
David shares his insights and opinions on current
activities affecting industrial laser materials processing.
www.industrial-lasers.com/dabbling.html

1903ILS01-04.indd 1 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 Localized M
an
an
ul
au
—
th
fa

uf
an
La
in
le
co
ef
ty

ta
sy
tr
sh

es
pr
th
pa
Laser Manufacturing Facility in Brea, CA th
su

AMADA’s global network

of manufacturing bases
includes facilities in North
America, Europe, China
and Japan.

1903ILS01-04.indd
AmaAme_ILS_1803 21 3/6/19 11:59 AM
d Manufacturing
AMADA is committed to the engineering
and manufacturing of the world’s most precise
and productive machine tools. Our most pop-
ular series of laser machines and advanced
automation systems are manufactured in California
The ENSIS Series is available in
— providing localized manufacturing to meet 3015 and 4020 models and can be
the specific design needs of North American configured with CL automation
fabricators. options to best suit your specific
manufacturing needs.
Laser cutting systems currently being man-
ufactured in California include the ENSIS Series
and the LCG Series. AMADA’s ENSIS Fiber
Laser technology provides continuous process-
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lens change or additional setup. The LCG Series
combines optimal power and cutting speed to
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types and thicknesses.
Automation systems range from shuttle
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AMADA understands the distinct challeng-
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AMADA AMERICA, INC.

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1903ILS01-04.indd 3 3/6/19 11:59

2/21/18 10:41 AM
AM
1903ILS01-04.indd
IIVI_ILS_1903 1 4 3/6/19 11:59
2/14/19 AM
2:27 PM
 update
Laser cutting in Southern Africa
The Republic of Zimbabwe, land-
locked in southern Africa and previ-
ously known as Southern Rhodesia
(1898), Rhodesia (1965), and Zim-
babwe Rhodesia (1979), became a
physical entity in 1980. The coun-
try’s economy is mixed with a dom-
inating public sector. It used to have
one of the strongest economies in
Africa—however, political instability
at the administrative level has led
to negative GDP growth. Economic
growth in 2017 was an estimated
2.6% in 2017 driven by strong per-
formance in agriculture, mining,
electricity, and water. Economic
growth in 2018 (a projected 1%)
was likely to be 1.2% in 2019—con-
tinuing to face a challenging politi-
cal environment.
So, what ties Zimbabwe to
Industrial Laser Solutions, lasers,
and new technology? Maybe it’s
the above comment about the Sawpower’s Bystronic BySprint First Cut (Johannesburg, South Africa; www.
country’s prior position as the eco- Fiber 3015 laser has been firstcut.co.za) has been Sawpower’s preferred
nomic leader in Africa. Did all the installed on the company’s saw blade suppliers for 22 years and it has a valu-
bright entrepreneurs flee the coun- manufacturing floor. able relationship with them. The company grew
try over the ensuing years? I wrote its business from cutting consumables into sup-
several years ago that Africa might be the next industrial plying and supporting capital equipment, thus products
growth area, surpassing Asia. It was amusing to speculate and with this its affiliation to Bystronic (www.bystronic.com).
on this and consequently, I started referring to the few ILS Ralph and Greg both come from a manufacturing back-
readers in Zimbabwe as the anointed who would pass on the ground. Unfortunately, due to the nature and decline of the
knowledge gained from the magazine to the rest of Africa. Zimbabwean economy, the country has become largely
It was a light-hearted attempt at some humor, tinged with dependent on imports, which depletes foreign currency
my belief that Africa may be the next fast-growing indus- reserves. This has been the same for Sawpower. Although
trial market for lasers. it manufactures its own range of saw blades in-house, the
I’d like to think Ralph and Greg Stead got the idea about rest of the business relies on such imports.
laser cutting from ILS, but I doubt it because they are not They had been looking at getting back into manufac-
on the magazine’s circulation list. But here’s their story. turing about six years ago, but circumstances at the time
Sawpower Blades (Pvt) Ltd, a family-owned business made it fairly prohibitive. In 2016, together with First Cut
located in Msasa, Harare, Zimbabwe, has been in exis- and Bystronic, Ralph and Greg started learning and under-
tence under that name for more than 23 years. The busi- standing more about fiber laser technology, and at the end
ness was originally purchased as a struggling concern and of 2017, they signed a deal with them to install the first-ever
was resurrected and restructured by Ralph Stead, who fiber laser machine in Zimbabwe.
still plays a major key role in the day-to-day operations. Being able to supply a value-added process to
His son, Greg Stead, joined the business about 16 years raw materials and bring the latest technology in sheet
ago after completing his apprenticeship and further tech- metal processing means it is now able to offer these
nical studies abroad. in Zimbabwe instead of importing them. Additionally,

www.industrial-lasers.com MARCH/APRIL 2019 Industrial Laser Solutions 5

1903ILS05-13.indd 5 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 update
Sawpower now represents Bystronic in
Zimbabwe and this machine also serves
as a working showroom. They have
already taken on import substitution
work as well as work for the mines and
farming industries. Import enquires have
been received and they hope to pursue
this vigorously in 2019.
Greg says the installation, commission-
ing, and running of the Bystronic BySprint
Fiber 3015 was, and continues to be, an
exciting project (FIGURE). The all-around sup-
Feasibility study tackles effective laser beam cutting underwater
Recall the old saying “What goes around
comes around”? Many decades ago, I was
associated with an offshoot
of an underwater electron
beam welding program that
was to cut metals in that
same environment. This
project didn’t pan out for a
variety of reasons, mostly
associated with cost-ef-
fectiveness. Later, when
high-power lasers were
developed, it arose again
and we looked at the laser
beam as the heat source.
Although the technology
was proven, solving the
cost-effectiveness barrier
shut things down.
Now, scientists at Laser FIGURE 1. Underwater laser cutting offers enormous
Zentrum Hannover (LZH; potential for dismantling reactor vessels. (Photo credit: LZH)
Hannover, Germany), an
independent, nonprofit research institute,
are setting out to answer whether a laser
beam can be used for efficient reactor dis-
mantling by cutting underwater (FIGURE 1).
This is the scope of the AZULa project
(which stands for “Automated separation of
reactor pressure vessel installations using
underwater laser technology”), a feasibil-
ity study that will involve developing a laser
beam cutting process and constructing a
compact cutting head for use in a radiolog-
ically activated and contaminated underwa-
ter environment.
This system is supposed to enable the
direct dismantling of nuclear facilities (reac- FIGURE 2. Less-contaminated secondary materials through an
tor pressure vessels), as laser beam cutting
6 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019
1903ILS05-13.indd 6
port received from Bystronic and First Cut
has been exceptional, as those companies
are passionate and dedicated to their prod-
ucts. Together with the BySprint Fiber 3015
laser, Sawpower also runs a NitraCut nitro-
gen generator, which it uses to generate its
own nitrogen assist gas.
According to Greg, the company chose
to use Bystronic’s BySoft programming
software. He says this is a powerful pro-
gramming tool that works in harmony with
the laser and all future manufacturing pro-
offers significant advantages compared to
conventional cutting methods such as water
efficient laser cutting process are shown. (Photo credit: LZH)
cesses. It also means that the company is
dealing with one supplier when it comes to
technical support. Whether it be a minor
programming or nesting enquiry right up to
major service work or technical support on
the machine, Bystronic and First Cut have
everything covered.
As this is being written, the economic
and social news for Zimbabwe is, as the
pundits say, fluid. So, I’ll be paying more
attention to that country, especially pulling
for Greg and Sawpower.—David Belforte
jet cutting or sawing techniques—most sig-
nificantly, control of the binding of the kerf
material on the exit side, which is a stan-
dard laser cutting benefit. The expense for
final cleaning of the water basin floor is sig-
nificantly reduced, as the amount of sec-
ondary or technology waste is significantly
lower compared to water jet or sawing tech-
niques (FIGURE 2). The disposal of this waste
is time-consuming and costly. In addition,
sawing techniques are prone to jamming of
the tool, which cannot occur with laser beam
cutting. Thus, the process times could be
shortened. Laser beam cutting would there-
fore represent a much cheaper alternative for
dismantling of reactor components.
The AZULa project, in collaboration
with Orano (Paris, France), is sponsored
by the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research under a grant by project coor-
dinator Gesellschaft für
Anlagen- und Reaktor-
sicherheit (GRS; Köln,
Germany).
Needless to say, I’ll be
following progress with
interest because glob-
ally, there are 76 nuclear
reactors expected to
retire by 2019, followed
by 183 units in the 2020s
and 127 units in the
2030s. It’s been looked
at before, but maybe
this backlog will be the
impetus to ease cost-ef-
fectiveness concerns.
—David Belforte
www.industrial-lasers.com
3/6/19 11:59 AM
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1903ILS05-13.indd 17
IPGPho_ILS_1801 3/6/19 11:59
12/21/17 2:21 AM
PM
 update
Laser marking technology for QR codes
on tires enters mass production
ALSDORF, GERMANY – 4JET Technolo-
gies has developed a laser marking solu-
tion to individually and durably mark tires
with a machine-readable QR code, which
is now in mass production for automotive
OEMs. Luxury automaker BMW (Munich,
Germany) has been fitting its first-volume
models with the new technology since the
fall of 2018. At the same time, two leading
manufacturers of truck tires have chosen
to introduce QR codes for new projects
that are scheduled to go into mass pro-
duction in 2019.
At the TIRE Technology Expo (held
March 5-7, 2019 in Hannover, Germany),
4JET informed attendees about its sig-
nificant progress. Approximately 20 tire The SCANNECT App software module allows for reading laser-marked QR codes on the
factories on three continents are able to low-contrast black sidewalls of a tire.
meet the requirements for durable and
machine-readable codes at economical being delivered. The technology enables as well as adding graphics or information in
cost, and several automobile and tire man- adding customer-specific sidewall infor- plain writing. For more information, please
ufacturers are planning follow-up projects mation to stock tires after their production, visit www.4jet.de.
at the moment.
The SCANNECT (short for “scan and
connect”) application allows for tires to
be traced throughout the entire life cycle.
Core to the solution is a laser marking 3D printing method uses two kinds
process that allows for the tire mark- of light, making it 100X faster
ing with individual QR codes, which are
engraved into the sidewalls durably and ANN ARBOR, MI – A team of
protected against abrasion. The high con- researchers at the University
trast of the engraving enables the code to of Michigan (U-M) has demon-
be read reliably by optical reading meth- strated a new approach to 3D
ods. Reading systems have been devel- printing (also known as additive
oped for use in tire logistics that ensure manufacturing) that lifts complex
reading rates of >99.9%. shapes from a vat of liquid up to
Furthermore, 4JET has developed the 100X faster than conventional 3D
SCANNECT App, a software module to printing processes.
be integrated in mobile apps that allows The method solidifies the liq-
for reading QR codes on the low-contrast uid resin using two lights to con-
black sidewalls of a tire (FIGURE). The “app- trol where the resin hardens, and
in-app” solution enables easy integration of where it stays fluid. This enables
code reading into mobile applications like the research team to solidify
online shops or fleet management solu- the resin in more sophisticated
tions. For quality control of the process, the patterns. They can make a 3D
company has developed a grading solution bas-relief in a single shot rather A new way to 3D print uses two lights to control
that allows for evaluation of the code qual- than in a series of 1D lines or 2D the solidification of resin, enabling complex shapes
ity inline or by means of a desktop device. cross-sections. Their printing to be pulled from a vat at 100X the print speed
The QR codes can be engraved either at demonstrations include a lattice, of conventional 3D printers. (Image credit: Evan
the tire plant, after the remolding, or before a toy boat, and a block M (FIGURE). Dougherty)

8 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019 www.industrial-lasers.com

1903ILS05-13.indd 8 3/6/19 11:59 AM

1903ILS05-13.indd 19
ElixPho_ILS_1903 3/6/19 11:59
2/25/19 AM
3:57 PM
 update
By creating a relatively large region
where no solidification occurs, thicker res-
ins—potentially with strengthening powder
additives—can be used to produce more
durable objects. The method also bests the
structural integrity of filament 3D printing, as
those objects have weak points at the inter-
faces between layers.
An earlier solution to the solidifica-
tion-on-window problem was a window
that lets oxygen through. The oxygen pen-
etrates into the resin and halts the solidi-
fication near the window, leaving a film of
fluid that will allow the newly printed surface
to be pulled away. But because this gap is
only about as thick as a piece of transpar-
ent tape, the resin must be very runny to
flow fast enough into the tiny gap between
the newly solidified object and the window
as the part is pulled up. This has limited vat
printing to small, customized products that
will be treated relatively gently, such as den-
tal devices and shoe insoles.
By replacing the oxygen with a second
light to halt solidification, the research team
can produce a much larger gap between
the object and the window—millimeters
thick—allowing resin to flow in thousands
of times faster.
The key to success is the chemistry of
the resin. In conventional systems, there is
only one reaction. A photoactivator hard-
ens the resin wherever light shines. In the
U-M system, there is also a photoinhibitor,
which responds to a different wavelength of
light. Rather than merely controlling solidifi-
cation in a 2D plane, as current vat-printing
techniques do, the U-M team can pattern
the two kinds of light to harden the resin at
essentially any 3D place near the illumina-
tion window.
U-M has filed three patent applications
to protect the multiple inventive aspects
of the approach, and Timothy Scott, U-M
associate professor of chemical engineer-
ing who co-led the development of the new
3D printing approach with Mark Burns, the
T.C. Chang Professor of Engineering at U-M,
is preparing to launch a startup company.
Full details of the work appear in the jour-
nal Science Advances.

Spectrum supplies laser marking system

for use in manufacturing Mars lander
BRIDGEND, WALES – Lockheed Martin
Space (Denver, CO) used the Nova laser
marking equipment from laser wire and
cable processing technology Spectrum
Technologies to process and identify all
the wiring in manufacturing the complex
electrical wiring system for the NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (NASA JPL;
The Nova UV laser wire marking system was used in electrical harness production to laser-mark,
measure, and cut wires to length.
Pasadena, CA) Mars InSight lander,
which started its descent toward the
Martian surface on November 26, 2018.
Spectrum Technologies supplied Lock-
heed Martin Space with a fully auto-
mated Nova UV laser wire marking sys-
tem in 2014. The system is used in the
initial stages of electrical harness pro- tor responsible for the complete space-
duction to laser-mark, measure, and cut
wires to length (FIGURE).
InSight, which stands for Interior Explo-
ration using Seismic Investigations, Geod-
esy and Heat Transport, is designed to
explore the deep interior of Mars. Lockheed
Martin Space is the InSight prime contrac-
craft system. Following landing,
the mission will survey the sur-
rounding area and deploy the
mission critical instruments. It will
then begin its mission of observ-
ing Mars, which is planned to last
for two years.
Apart from using the equip-
ment for the InSight program,
Lockheed Martin Space utilized
the equipment for many other
different programs, including
the wiring produced for the Ken-
nedy Space Center in Florida for
the Orion program. The Nova
800 product range was specifi-
cally designed for complex aero-
space wire harness manufactur-
ing applications.
For more information, please
visit www.spectrumtech.com.

10 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019 www.industrial-lasers.com

1903ILS05-13.indd 10 3/6/19 11:59 AM


Augmenting growth in additive manufacturing, EOS acquires Vulcan Labs
NOVI, MI AND BENTON, TX – Additive manufacturing technology
developer EOS North America has acquired Vulcan Laboratories
(Vulcan Labs), expanding its bench of additive manufacturing
EOS North America and the Vulcan Labs team. (Courtesy: EOS)
update
experts in powder bed fusion technology. The Vulcan Labs team
members bring decades of industry experience into both EOS’
technical center in Pflugerville, TX, and its Advanced Laser Mate-
rials (ALM) materials research and production facility in Temple,
TX, further strengthening its ability to ensure customer success
in industrial 3D printing (FIGURE).
With the acquisition of Vulcan Labs’ team, EOS North Amer-
ica has now formed an entirely dedicated engineering services
group, says Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America.
In addition to the new engineering services group, other for-
mer Vulcan Labs engineers have been charged with helping
lead the further development and commercialization of the new
Integra P 400 polymer 3D printer, which is designed for the pro-
duction of high-quality, mid-temperature additive manufacturing
applications. Launched in December 2018 and currently avail-
able only in North America, the Integra P 400 is engineered and
manufactured in Texas and has already seen orders from nearly
a dozen organizations.
Former Vulcan Labs CEO and industry veteran David Leigh will
now serve in the role of chief operating officer at EOS North America.
For more information, please visit www.eos.info.

Award-winning programmable fiber laser

revolutionizing thin and thick metal processing.

www.nlight.net

www .industrial-lasers
NLight_ILS_1903 1 .com MARCH/APRIL 2019 Industrial Laser Solutions 11
2/15/19 1:42 PM

1903ILS05-13.indd 11 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 update
Renishaw opens additive manufacturing centers in Spain and Italy
WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE, ENGLAND – To
accelerate the adoption of laser powder
bed fusion for series production appli-
cations, engineering company Ren-
ishaw has expanded its global network
of additive manufacturing Solutions Cen-
tres. The company has opened facilities
in Barcelona, Spain and Torino, Italy
to allow local companies to access its
equipment and expertise at a fixed and
predictable cost.
Launched in 2016, Renishaw’s Solu-
tions Centres enable businesses a secure
development environment to build their
knowledge and confidence using addi-
tive manufacturing technology (FIGURE).
The facilities are equipped with the latest
additive manufacturing systems, includ-
ing Renishaw’s multilaser machines,
alongside all the metrology, finishing and
machining equipment required to make a
functional part.
Users of the company’s Solutions Cen-
tres run projects to build their knowledge
of the additive manufacturing process,
understand the product performance
impact, and assess the capability and
costs of the technology. The centers are
staffed by local additive manufacturing
X-ray laser pinpoints how defects
occur in additive manufacturing
PITTSBURGH, PA AND LEMONT, IL – A known
problem in additive manufacturing (also
known as 3D printing) is tiny gas pockets in
the final product, which can lead to cracks
and other failures. Recognizing this, a team
of researchers from Carnegie Mellon Uni-
versity and the Argonne National Labora-
tory has identified how and when these gas
pockets form, as well as a methodology to
predict their formation, which could dramat-
ically improve the 3D printing process.
The scientists used the extremely
bright high-energy x-rays at Argonne’s
Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE
Office of Science User Facility, to take
ultrafast video and images of a process
12 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019
1903ILS05-13.indd 12
The interior of one of Renishaw’s additive manufacturing Solutions Centres is shown.
specialists, who work closely with cus-
tomers on the engineering projects. The
company offers support throughout the
investigation and business case develop-
ment process, so companies can opti-
mize their designs and gain the required
evidence to make investment decisions.
The company has invested significantly
in its subsidiary network, which com-
called laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF), in
which lasers are used to melt and fuse
material powder together.
The lasers, which scan over each layer
of powder to fuse metal where it is needed,
create the finished product. Defects can
form when pockets of gas become trapped
into these layers, causing imperfections that
could lead to cracks or other breakdowns
in the final product.
Until now, manufacturers and research-
ers did not know much about how the laser
drills into the metal, producing cavities
called vapor depressions, but they assumed
that the type of metal powder or strength
of laser were to blame. As a result, man-
prises over 70 offices in 36 countries. It
has recently expanded to new, larger loca-
tions in Barcelona and Torino, which has
enabled the establishment of the new Solu-
tions Centres that join those already opera-
tional in India, Canada, the U.S., China, Ger-
many, and the UK.
For more information, please visit www.
renishaw.com/solutionscentres.
ufacturers have been using a trial-and-er-
ror approach with different types of metals
and lasers to seek to reduce the defects.
Research shows that these vapor depres-
sions exist under nearly all conditions in the
process, no matter the laser or metal. Even
more important, the research shows how to
predict when a small depression will grow
into a big and unstable one that can poten-
tially create a defect.
By using highly specialized equipment
at Argonne’s APS, the researchers watched
what happens as the laser moves across
the metal powder bed to create each layer
of the product.
Under perfect conditions, the melt
pool shape is shallow and semicircu-
lar, called the conduction mode. But
during the actual printing process, the
high-power laser, often moving at a low
speed, can change the melt pool shape
www.industrial-lasers.com
3/6/19 11:59 AM

to something like a keyhole in a warded
lock: round and large on top, with a nar-
row spike at bottom (FIGURE). Such key-
hole mode melting can potentially lead to
defects in the final product.
“Based on this research, we now know
that the keyhole phenomenon is more
important, in many ways, than the powder
being used in additive manufacturing,” says
The 1st of its kind
The First 3D-Printed Aircraft Airbus
debuted Thor in June 2016,
a mini-plane which is the first of
its kind to fly successfully.
Question:
How much does Thor weigh?
46 pounds.
1903ILS05-13.indd 113
OphSpi_ILS_1903
Ross Cunningham, a recent graduate from
Carnegie Mellon University and one of the
co-first authors of this paper. “Our research
shows that you can predict the factors that
lead to a keyhole—which means you can
also isolate those factors for better results.”
The research shows that keyholes form
when a certain laser power density is
reached that is sufficient to boil the metal.
This image,
taken under the
synchrotron at
Argonne National
Laboratory, shows
a keyhole void
forming during
the metal 3D
printing process;
during laser
powder bed fusion,
a 3D printer drills
a hole into the
metal.
Additive Manufacturing
Ensure Laser Performance
and Stability
When knowing your process
is a must
Focal spot shift during start-up
•
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•
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Changes in spot size & power density over time
•
•Real-time M2: ISO 11146 compliant
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update
This, in turn, reveals the critical importance
of the laser focus in the additive manu-
facturing process, an element that has
received scant attention so far, according
to the research team.
The keyhole phenomenon was able
to be viewed with such details because
of the scale and specialized capability
developed at Argonne, explains Tao Sun,
an Argonne physicist and an author on
the paper. “The intense high-energy x-ray
beam at the APS is key to discoveries like
this,” he adds.
The research team believes this
research could motivate makers of addi-
tive manufacturing machines to offer more
flexibility when controlling the machines
and that the improved use of the machines
could lead to a significant improvement
in the final product. In addition, if these
insights are acted upon, the process for
3D printing could get faster.
Full details of the work appear in the jour-
nal Science.
3/6/19 11:59
2/21/19 10:15 AM
AM
 a p p l i c a t i o n r e p o r t

Optimized additive
manufacturing for
lightweight metallic
components
RECYCLED ALUMINUM POWDER ENABLES Optimal processing window of the as-built
aluminum alloy parts fabricated by SLM

A COST-EFFECTIVE PROCESS Distance Distance

tolerance (mm) tolerance (mm)
AlSi10Mg 0.18 0.2 Al6061 -0.03 0.03
alloy Surface Ra (µm) alloy Rel. density (%)
AHMED MAAMOUN 5.5 9 98.6 98.7
Rel. density (%) Surface Ra (µm)

T
Scanning speed 99.3 99.8 Speed (mm/s) 3.2 6
(mm/s)
Decrease rel. 1300 Increase Ra
1400 density Undersize
Decrease rel. Potential
1300 Increase density decrease
Ra Ra
he upcoming industrial revolution 1200 1000
known as Industry 4.0 promises a Undersize
new age of advanced manufactur- Oversize
1000 Potential 800
ing. Industry 4.0 is powered by the 200 240 280 320 decrease Ra 250 280 310 Potential
Power (W) Power (W) increase rel. density
current development in some fields,
such as additive manufacturing (also FIGURE 1. The effect of the SLM process parameters on the
known as 3D printing), autonomous quality of as-built AlSi10Mg parts is shown.
robots, predictive maintenance and analytics, software inte-
gration, and cybersecurity. Additive manufacturing of metals
offers a variety of solutions to reduce current design and man- Recently, some significant contributions to improve the qual-
ufacturing limitations, and therefore will improve part perfor- ity and reduce the production cost of parts produced using
mance and customization. SLM were achieved by the author during his Ph.D. research.
Selective laser melting (SLM) is the commonly used tech- The work focused on optimizing the quality and cost of addi-
nique for the additive manufacturing of metals, using a laser tively manufactured aluminum parts applied in some critical
beam to melt each powder layer according to the slices gen- applications specifically for the metal mirrors of high-power
erated from the 3D CAD model. The technique can provide laser system or wide-view space telescopes.
near-net shape objects compared to subtractive manufactur- The primary goals of this research focused on reducing or
ing (CNC machining), and thus will have a significant impact eliminating the defects derived from the as-built parts such as
on workpiece development. microstructure inhomogeneity, porosity, and surface defects.
SLM can also be used to produce efficient tools for forming These targets were achieved through five comprehensive stud-
and die casting technologies. ies followed by a case study of a typical TMA telescope mirror.
Additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys promises a pro-
duction of efficient, flexibly designed, and lightweight parts Cost-effective recycled powder
using the SLM technique. However, some challenges to widen A full characterization of both fresh and recycled aluminum alloy
SLM applications, such as obtaining consistent material prop- (AlSi10Mg) powder, according to ASTM F3049-14, shows the
erties, improving the quality of fabricated parts, and reducing possibility of reusing it to be part of a cost-effective additive
their production cost, are an active research issue. manufacturing process using the SLM technique.1

14 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019 www.industrial-lasers.com

1903ILS14-17.indd 14 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 The recycled powder was reused for As-built
18 previous builds after providing proper
recycling procedures. The powder char- µm 148
60 400
acterization results showed similar prop- 30
erties between both fresh and recycled 0
AlSi10Mg 50 µm
powders, and there was no loss in the -30
-50
quality of parts fabricated using the recy-
cled powder. It is worthwhile to note that µm
60 189
the size of the sputtering particles of this 30
aluminum alloy exceeds 100 µm, and thus 0
356 50 µm
helps to exclude these particles after siev- Shot-peened -30
-50
ing with a mesh size of 75 µm. This work
has a significant impact on the production
Microhardness (HV) Residual stress (MPa)
cost reduction of each build process by
170 50
hundreds of dollars. As-built
160 0
Customization of the 150
Shot-peened -50
product quality 140
A comprehensive study regarding the -100
130 Shot-peened
effect of SLM process parameters on As-built
120 -150
the quality of parts was presented. A 2, 3

process map was established to opti- 110 -200

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 100 200 300 400
mize the performance characteristics Depth from the surface (µm) Depth from the surface (µm)
of the as-built aluminum parts fabri-
cated (FIGURE 1). FIGURE 3. The influence of shot peening on AlSi10Mg parts fabricated by additive
The process map was developed for manufacturing is shown.
Al6061 and AlSi10Mg alloys according
to the design of experiments (DOE) analysis using a full facto- Since some critical components, such as those used in aero-
rial technique. The developed map investigates the behavior space applications, need higher quality than that obtained from
of relative density, surface roughness, and dimensional accu- the as-built parts, it is necessary to apply post-processing treat-
racy along the selected range of the SLM process parame- ment to satisfy the design requirements of these components.
ters, in addition to characterizing the parts’ microstructure and
mechanical properties. Thermal post-processing of parts
It was found that AlSi10Mg is a more compatible alu- fabricated using recycled powder
minum alloy to be used for the SLM process than Al6061 FIGURE 2 illustrates the developed microhardness map after
alloy because of the relatively lower coefficient of ther- thermal post-processing of the as-built parts using recycled
mal expansion of AlSi10Mg, which prevents crack for- AlSi10Mg powder. The influence of thermal post-processing was
mation and part contraction after solidification. The opti- studied under different conditions, including annealing, solu-
mum relative density of 99.7% of parts is achieved using tion heat treatment (SHT), and T6 heat treatment (T6 HT). The
energy density of 50 J/mm 3 through a laser power of results showed a significant improvement in the microstructure
370 W, a scan speed of 1300 mm/s, and a 30 µm layer thickness. homogeneity under specific conditions with a variety of selec-
tion for the desired mechanical properties.
Additive manufacturing Thermal post-processing The developed map assists in the selec-
Inhomogeneous microstructure Homogeneous microstructure tion of optimized thermal post-processing
Fine grains Coarse grains Recrystallization
parameters, which could satisfy the design
As-built Annealing SHT T6HT requirements.1
y
Fresh x Shot peening improvement
powder
Shot peening was also applied to the
120
AlSi10Mg SLM Hardness Top area as-built part as a cold working process
(HV)110
Recycled
100 that bombards the part surface with
powder 90 spherical beads using high pressure.
Bottom
z 80 area Shot peening of the as-built AlSi10Mg
70
60 surfaces resulted in the elimination of the
0 100 200 300 400 5001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Temperature (°C) Time (h) surface defects, microstructure refine-
ment, surface hardening, and the appli-
FIGURE 2. A microhardness map for thermal post-processing of AlSi10Mg samples shows cation of high compressive stress into a
a cross-section fabricated by SLM. specific depth from the sample surface

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 a p p l i c a t i o n r e p o r t

(FIGURE 3).4 The increase of surface microhardness is extended properties. The method was studied as a localized treatment
along a specific depth from the sample surface up to 500 µm. on a large surface area of the as-built and hot isostatic pressed
The compressive residual stress generated along the peened (HIPed) AlSi10Mg parts using multiple FSP tool passes. The
area could lead to an improvement of the mechanical proper- influence of FSP on the microstructure, hardness, and residual
ties and fatigue strength of the sample surface. stresses of parts was investigated.5 FSP transforms the micro-
structure of parts into an equiaxed grain structure. A consistent
Friction stir processing for deep microstructure homogenization was achieved over the processed
localized surface treatment surface after applying a high ratio of tool pass overlap of ≥60%.
Friction stir processing (FSP) is considered to be an intense FIGURE 4 shows a map of microstructure and hardness that was
plastic deformation process that could change the material prepared to assist in the selection of the optimal FSP parame-
ters for attaining the required quality of
SLM (as-built) the final processed parts.
It is worthwhile to note that the pro-
cess maps developed in the studies
could help to customize the fabricated
z Hardness (HV)
part characteristics according to the
110
AlSi10Mg 100 desired quality to achieve its design
90 requirements. The ongoing efforts in
80
70 the R&D sector of the additive manufac-
60 turing field promise more considerable
50
40 achievements to overcome the as-built
FSP As-built HIP FSP FSP FSP
FSP defects completely. After that, additive
90% 25% 60% 90%
Tool overlap manufacturing could supply a qualified
part that satisfies both design and qual-
FIGURE 4. Friction stir processing of AlSi10Mg parts produced by SLM is shown. ity requirements.

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1903ILS14-17.indd 16 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 Additive manufacturing reduces part
weight, improves its performance
A novel mirror structure is developed using the design for additive
manufacturing (DFAM) concept. This design achieved a weight
More Flexibility for
reduction of 50% as compared to the typical mirror structure.6
Moreover, the developed design offers an improvement of the mir-
Packaging and Textiles –
ror cooling performance due to the embedded cooling channels powerSCAN II
in the mirror surface (FIGURE 5). The ultraprecision machined sur-
face of the additively manufactured AlSi10Mg part showed a sur-
face roughness that
reached 2 nm using a) b)
the single-point dia-
mond turning (SPDT)
technique.
In general, addi-
tive manufacturing
will offer a cost-ef-
c) d)
fective production
process of an effi-
cient, customized,
and high-quality
product. The smart
factory 4.0 will pro-
vide many solutions FIGURE 5. The results of an optical
for existing produc- metallic mirror case study show a typical
tion limitations using design (a), developed design (b, c), and
additive manufactur- machined mirror surface (d).
ing and automation
systems. Current
achievements undoubtedly will lead to an increase in the produc-
tivity and the growth of various applications in different fields, such
as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, military, and beyond.
The new age of advanced manufacturing will start once the
underlying technology issues have been solved. At this time, con-
ventional design and production strategies will be changed towards
more flexible, productive, and smarter production systems. ✺
3D Scan System for Industrial Laser Cutting
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• Designed for high-power CO2 lasers
The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Mo Elbestawi, Dr. Stephen Veldhuis, Dr. Julia Dosbaeva,
and Mr. Jack Xue for their contribution in the current work achievements.
• Perfect cutting results thanks to smallest laser spots
REFERENCES
1. A. H. Maamoun, M. Elbestawi, G. K. Dosbaeva, and S. C. Veldhuis, Addit. Manuf., 21, 234–247 • Variable scan field enabled by FLEX option
(2018); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.03.014.
2. A. H. Maamoun, Y. F. Xue, M. A. Elbestawi, and S. C. Veldhuis, Materials, 11, 2343 (2018); https:// • Light weight mirrors for highest cutting speeds
doi.org/10.3390/ma11122343.
3. A. H. Maamoun, Y. F. Xue, M. A. Elbestawi, and S. C. Veldhuis, Materials, 12, 12 (2019); https://
• Compact, sealed housing
doi.org/10.3390/ma12010012.
4. A. Maamoun, M. Elbestawi, and S. Veldhuis, J. Manuf. Mater. Process., 2, 40 (2018); https://doi.
org/10.3390/jmmp2030040.
5. A. H. Maamoun, S. C. Veldhuis, and M. Elbestawi, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 263, 308–320
(2019); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2018.08.030.
6. A. H. Maamoun, “Selective laser melting and post-processing for lightweight metallic optical
components,” Ph.D. Thesis, McMaster University (Jan. 2019); www.researchgate.net/profile/
ahmed_maamoun5.

DR. AHMED MAAMOUN (maamouna@mcmaster.ca) is a research assistant in the www.scanlab.de

Additive Manufacturing Group (AMG) and the McMaster Manufacturing Research
Institute at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; www.eng.mcmaster.ca/
mcmaster-manufacturing-research-institute-mmri.

www.industrial-lasers.com

1903ILS14-17.indd 17 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 a p p l i c a t i o n r e p o r t

Laser joining process

yields metal-
thermoplastic
hybrid parts
ADHESIVE BONDING AND LASER REMOTE

TECHNOLOGY JOIN PLASTIC TO METAL

ANNETT KLOTZBACH

L
oad-adapted hybrid con-
nections made of metals
and thermoplastics have
become more important
as they are used for sev-
eral industrial applica-
tions, especially in the area
of lightweight construction. For efficient process
chains and specific load cases, an optimized pre-
FIGURE 1. Laser surface
treatment and joining technology, as well as adapted An industrial bonding process also has its dif-
pretreatment of mild
tools for process simulation and characterization of ficulties, though. While in mechanical connec-
steel before thermal
properties, are required. For this purpose, the laser tions, the transfer of loads is achieved by means
direct joining is shown.
can be the key to success. of a pure form and force fit, but bonding requires
With a strict implementation of function-inte- an optimized material contact between the sur-
grated lightweight construction, local load differences influ- faces. The adhesive forces acting on the boundary layer of both
ence the use of materials of different classes. The connection materials, which is only a few microns thick, react very sensi-
of the various subcomponents places special demands on tively to changes. Contamination by oils and preservatives or
the joining technology. For example, metal inserts and screw flatness tolerances can lead to drastic losses in strength. To
bushings are bonded onto plastics during the injection mold- achieve transmission strength comparable to that of a screw
ing process. Preferred joining processes are the attachment connection, large surfaces are bonded.
of clips, screw connections, or rivets. However, gluing has also However, bonding proves to be uneconomical due to the
increasingly found its way into the automotive industry, espe- process sensitivity, the required connection area, and a large
cially where plastic fairing parts are bonded with metallic stiff- number of individual process steps. Typically, both joining part-
ening structures. ners are cleaned or pretreated before bonding, followed by the
Consider the tailgate of a BMW i3, for example, where application of the adhesive, fixation of both joining partners,
more than 11 meters of adhesive seam provide structural and the curing of the adhesive (chemical reaction).
strength, improved crash performance, and simple toler- Efficiency increases of the industrial bonding processes
ance compensation. have, for example, been achieved by using a laser pretreatment.

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1903ILS18-21.indd 18 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 CW lasers to produce coarse struc-
tures with ablation depths up to 200
µm, so that fibers and highly viscous
plastic melt can also penetrate and
anchor themselves.
FIGURE 2 shows the cross-sec-
tion of a thermal direct joined con-
2 mm nection. The structures were com-
pletely filled with matrix and fibers.
Depending on the type of load, dif-
FIGURE 2. A cross-section of a
ferent ablation regimes are used.
metal-thermoplastic connection
200 µm Simple line and cross structures
(mild steel and glass fiber-reinforced
offer a good possibility to fill the
PA6), which was accomplished by
cavities completely with plastic.
thermal direct joining and laser
The combination of ablation and the
macrostructuring, is shown.
Here, the surfaces are cleaned from contamina- melting process provides an addi-
tions and simultaneously roughened, mostly by tional undercut due to melt adhe-
pulsed lasers to increase the area reacting with the adhesive. If sion. Using a solid-state laser with high beam quality (for
this ablation process is intensified—for example, by using con- example, 3 kW laser power), ablation rates of 100 to 500 mm2/s
tinuous-wave (CW) power lasers in the kilowatt range, deep (typical) are achievable.
trench structures can be created (FIGURE 1). Filling the result-
ing cavities with adhesives or plastic melt, a macroscopic form Laser structuring is not everything
closure is created. Thermal direct joining only proves to be efficient if the metal
This pretreatment strategy now offers the possibility of join- is heated and cooled very quickly. This can be done flexibly
ing materials more reliably by means of combination of adhe- by short-term heating using laser radiation. Similar to a sur-
sive bond and form fit. face-hardening process, the metal is heated from the side fac-
ing away from the joint. The rapid heating of any surfaces is
Fast joining due to controlled heating possible by the combination of a fast, controllable power laser
Another approach to simplify the production of hybrid connec- in the 800–1100 nm range and a scanner optic. FIGURE 3 shows
tions is thermal direct joining, in which metal and thermoplas- the stiffening structure of a middle armrest made of fiber-re-
tic are pressed together. Rapid heating of the metal causes inforced PA6 and mild steel. Here, the welding assembly and
melting of the thermoplastic in the contact area, which wets the cover plates were connected to an organo sheet by means
the surface and solidifies during cooling. This principle can be of laser heating.
applied to surfaces of any size and to various material com- Since the joining interface is not directly accessible, the
binations. Due to the clearly different coefficients of thermal sheet thickness and the temperature gradient generated in
expansion, high shear stresses occur in the boundary layer. the metal are specific because the melting temperature of the
To be able to absorb these stresses in addition to the loads
occurring during the use, either the plastic must be modified
or the metallic surface must be pretreated.
An industrially preferred process is the coating of the sheets
with adhesion promoter systems in the coil coating process.
The metallic semi-finished products are coated, formed, and
punched. Subsequently, thermoplastic fiber composite parts
can be bonded onto the metal by hot pressing.
Here, it can also be shown that brilliant-power lasers sim-
plify pretreatment. The macrostructures produced on the metal
surface are filled with the molten thermoplastic during thermal
direct joining. During solidification, the thermoplastic shrinks
and thus hooks into the metal structure.

Laser ablation ensure optimum plastic anchoring

Currently, various approaches to topography design for opti-
mized thermoplastic bonding are being investigated. For
example, ultrashort-pulse lasers generate specially shaped
microstructures that can be penetrated by the low-viscos-
ity plastic melt. In contrast, the approach by researchers at FIGURE 3. A stiffening structure of a middle armrest
the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (feasibility study) made from joined mild steel and glass fiber-
(Fraunhofer IWS; Dresden, Germany) is based on the use of reinforced PA6 is shown.

www.industrial-lasers.com MARCH/APRIL 2019 Industrial Laser Solutions 19

1903ILS18-21.indd 19 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 a p p l i c a t i o n r e p o r t

thermoplastic must be maintained. The contact pressure also plays can easily be adapted to different heat dissipation conditions by
an important role, as it balances the tolerances so that the cavities scanner systems, inductive heating requires a geometry-adapted
can be filled by plastic and fibers. coil design. Corresponding finite element simulation tools have
However, there are also disadvantages with the laser process. therefore been developed and validated at Fraunhofer IWS. They
The principle of thermal direct joining is based on simultaneous are based on the COMSOL Multiphysics platform, and consider
pressing of the parts against each other and heating. Therefore, a the local energy coupling as well as the material-dependent heat
direct accessibility to all joints must be guaranteed. With complex conduction. Since in most cases it is only possible to work in the
parts, this is often impossible. outer field of the coil, it is also necessary to use field concentrators.
With a suitable design, the coupling efficiency can be increased up
Fast heating by induction to a factor of 10. FIGURE 4 shows the basic principle of eddy current
In the case of complex accessibility, short-term heating by induc- guidance using field concentrators.
tion offers many advantages. An electromagnetic alternating field is
created by a geometry-adapted current-carrying coil, which gener- Induction or laser heating: which is the best?
ates eddy currents and thus heats the electrically conductive joining Comparative studies with both laser and inductive heating have
partner. Depending produced comparable joint strengths. To compare the results
on the frequency obtained with bonding, tensile shear tests were carried out on
range used, either single overlapped joints in accordance with DIN EN 1465 (join-
volume heating takes ing surface: 12.5 × 25 mm2). The strength of material combina-
Inductor Inductor
place or the heat is tions of continuous glass fiber-reinforced PA6 with stainless steel,
generated directly in aluminum, or mild steel was approximately 25 MPa. The fracture
the boundary layer occurred almost exclusively in the base material of the composite.
by exploiting the When using higher strength materials such as carbon fiber-rein-
skin effect. FIGURE 4. The basic principle of eddy forced polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), strengths of up to 30 MPa
In contrast to current guidance using field concentrators with partial fiber breakage could be achieved. The strengths deter-
laser heating, which for heat efficiency increase. mined are in the range of systems joined or bonded with adhesion
promoters. The resistance of the joint to alternating climatic loads
was also successfully validated.
If, on the other hand, the load limits in oblique or head tension are
considered, it must be stated that there is still a need for research.

FIGURE 5. A robot-guided spot-welding gun for metal-

thermoplastic connections is shown.

20 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019 www.industrial-lasers.com

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1903ILS18-21.indd 20 3/6/19 11:59 AM


FIGURE 6. Fixation of composite structures for local stiffening using HPCI technology is
shown (also see http://s.fhg.de/hpci-clip).
This results from the adhesion mechanism,
consisting primarily of a form-fit with small
amounts of adhesion bond.
When considering the achievable join-
ing times, significant differences between
inductive and laser heating could be deter-
mined. Therefore, induction enables more
targeted heating so that, for example, the
above-mentioned standardized joining sur-
faces of mild steel with 1–2 s heating time
was required. In the case of laser heating,
3–5 s had to be applied to heat the mild
steel through without locally risking melt-
ing of the surface.
Thermal direct joining has been devel-
oped and qualified by research institu-
tions and companies for several years.
However, the industrial applications in
series production are still very limited.
The reason for this is the complex com-
ponent design leading to function-inte-
grated hybrid designs. The choice of the
right material in the right place requires
the innovative viewpoint of the designers.
The pure substitution of a metal compo-
nent by a plastic or composite part leads
to weight savings on the one hand, but at
a significantly higher cost. Nevertheless,
certain areas of application for the tech-
nology have already crystallized. For
example, laser structuring before injec-
tion molding is used as an alternative to
primer application or plastic modification
for small series production. In thermal
direct joining, the industry aims to man-
ufacture housing components or con-
necting elements from temperature- and
media-stable thermoplastics to connect
www.industrial-lasers.com
1903ILS18-21.indd 21
LITTLE TO
NO-DEFECT
COPPER
WELDING
them to die-cast aluminum. Additional
From foils...
flanges for a screw connection, as well
as seals, can thus be omitted.
In addition, the technology has been
further developed so that automated
point-like joining is also possible. With the
technology marketed as HeatPressCool- 40 x 10µm foils
Integrative (HPCI), the joining partners are
pressed together similar to a conventional
spot-welding gun (FIGURE 5). A ring induc-
tor arranged around the punch heats the To 1mm copper
joining area. The thermoplastic melts and
binds to the metal. The special feature of
this technology is the possibility of locally
connecting plastic panels to metal inserts
for use in, for example, kitchen utensils,
lamps, and other consumer products. 1mm Copper thick
Furthermore, larger components can
be flexibly pre-fixed to overall structures
or directly bonded. Due to the compact
design of the system technology, the tools
are designed in such a way that conven-
...AND
tional handling technology can be used
(such as industrial robots), and thus the
FAST
HPCI technology can be integrated into
complex assembly chains (FIGURE 6). This is
the best precondition for a comprehensive
introduction to industrial manufacturing. ✺
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
HPCI is a registered trademark of THE BLUE LASER
Fraunhofer IWS.
COMPANY™
ANNETT KLOTZBACH (annett.klotzbach@iws.
fraunhofer.de) is Group Leader, Bonding and
Composite Technology at the Fraunhofer
www.nuburu.net
Institute for Material and Beam Technology
(Fraunhofer IWS), Dresden, Germany; www.
iws.fraunhofer.de.
MARCH/APRIL 2019 Industrial Laser Solutions 21
Nuburu_ILS_1903 1 2/19/19 2:28 PM
3/6/19 11:59 AM
 a p p l i c a t i o n
Laser beam shaping
for innovative applications
WHY LASER BEAM SHAPING IS
NECESSARY FOR MICRODRILLING
WITH ULTRASHORT-PULSE LASERS
SAMI LAROUI
M
icrolaser drilling is one of
the most common and
frequently used laser pro-
cesses by industry. The
wide variety of laser source
types makes it possible to
process a diverse range
of materials (metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers,
organic materials, etc.) with unprecedented reproducibility,
accuracy, and speed. Microdrilling is prominent in many indus-
tries, such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics, and even
for laser surgery and in the food industry. For example, the abil-
ity of this process to drill high-aspect-ratio holes down to the
micrometer scale has recently led to the development of new
injection nozzles for the automotive industry, improving engine
fuel efficiency up to 30%.1
Ultrashort-pulse lasers
Drilling smaller holes, increasing the drilling rate, enhancing
the accuracy and quality of the holes, and reducing the energy
consumption of the process led to a constant need to increase
the output and quality of the industrial processes. This, in line
with new, specific needs, leads to the regular development of
new laser drilling techniques. One of the latest major innova-
tions is the use of what are known as ultrashort-pulse lasers
(USPs; see Editor’s Note) micromachining tools.
Ultrashort-pulse lasers deliver short and intense pulses of
light, generally at high repetition rates (sometimes more than
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Industrial Laser Solutions International Editorial Advisory Board decided, by consensus, to use the term
ultrashort-pulse (USP) lasers for industrial laser material processing with pico- and femtosecond pulses. It may be more
common to see ultrafast-pulse (UFP) lasers used in some markets, but Dr. Geoff Shannon (Coherent), a leading femtosec-
ond process developer and ILS Editorial Advisor, makes a good case for the USP laser acronym: http://bit.ly/2HZD9Ed.
22 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019
1903ILS22-23.indd 22
r e p o r t
a hundred thousand
pulses per second).
The standout fea-
ture of these lasers
is that they concen-
trate the luminous
intensity of a pulse
30 µm
in an extremely short
duration of time—
on the order of a
FIGURE 1. A fuel-injection head hole picosecond (10-12 s)
drilled by femtosecond laser pulses is down to a few tens
shown. (Credit: TRUMPF) of femtoseconds
(10-15 s). Each pulse
carries a certain amount of energy, but its briefness allows it
to attain considerable peak power (up to several terawatts). In
the case of USP lasers, the pulses are so short and energetic
that they cause a near-instantaneous removal of the material
being irradiated. Rather than removing material by having their
energy absorbed as heat like more conventional lasers, the
ultrashort pulses of these lasers cause the ionization of mat-
ter without thermal effects. This effect is known as cold abla-
tion, allowing minimal internal stress, cracks, burrs, and other
defects normally caused by heat absorption.2 USP lasers make
it possible to quickly drill up to several thousand holes per
second7 with diameters smaller than with any other process (a
few micrometers; FIGURE 1). In addition, because this process
requires little to zero post-processing of the machined mate-
rial, high-speed lasers can provide a high production rate at
lower costs,4 and the availability of increasingly compact and
economical commercial USP lasers justifies their use for more
and more industrial applications.
Laser beam shaping
However, to truly maximize the effectiveness, quality, resolu-
tion, and efficiency of the process, it is necessary to apply a
laser beam shaping technology adapted to the given appli-
cation. A laser beam naturally has a non-uniform transverse
energy distribution (FIGURE 2), which can lead to unnecessary
energy losses, inaccuracies, and drilling irregularities. The
type of material, the parameters of the holes, the quality of the
www.industrial-lasers.com
3/6/19 11:59 AM
 drilling, and the production rates are all fac-
tors to be taken into account, and require
optimization of the way in which the inten-
sity of the laser pulses is distributed in the
material being treated.
Depending on the application-specific
needs, it may be necessary to concentrate
the laser energy uniformly, to shape the
beam into a certain profile, or even to gen-
erate several beams to treat several areas
simultaneously4,5 and multiply the produc-
tivity of the process. For example, one fre-
quently used beam shape is the flat-top
profile (FIGURE 3a), which makes it possible
to obtain a laser spot of uniform intensity
and thereby pierce with better resolution
and regular depth.6
Another frequently used shape is the
Bessel beam, which enables the propa-
gated energy to be intensely focused in
a small but elongated zone over a long
distance (FIGURE 3b). It is therefore par-
ticularly useful for the drilling of small-di-
ameter holes (sometimes under a microm-
eter in diameter) with a high aspect ratio
(holes with a depth-to-diameter ratio much
greater than 10:1). This shape is notably
used for the machining of transparent
materials8 such as glass or sapphire. For
more specific applications, it may be nec-
essary to produce beams of more specific
geometries, such as for machining pho-
tonic crystals or electronic microcompo-
nents using mask-free lithography.
It is therefore necessary for optimization
of the process to integrate a laser beam
shaping unit in laser microdrilling systems.
There are several types of beam shap-
ing technology, such as refractive optical
elements (ROEs), diffractive optical ele-
ments (DOEs), and spatial light modulators
(SLMs). These technologies
Gaussian
Intensity intensity profile
Processing threshold
Wasted energy
Transverse
Spot diameter position
FIGURE 2. Non-uniform distribution of the
intensity of a laser beam is shown.
www.industrial-lasers.com
1903ILS22-23.indd 23
are typically used on an industrial scale,
but they tend to be limited in terms of the
type of shapes that can be
a)
Intensity
Processing threshold
Wasted energy
Transverse
Spot diameter position
b) Propagation distance (µm)
200 150 100
I/Imax
20
µm
0 1
FIGURE 3. A flat-top beam profile (a) and the experimental intensity profile of a Bessel
beam (b) are shown. (Credits: CAILabs and P. Boucher et al., respectively)
obtained, suffer from a shallow depth of
field (useful depth for drilling), and may
have a reduced efficiency and a high price,
depending on the application.
More recently, Multi-Plane Light
Conversion (MPLC) technology provides a
great amount of freedom in terms of beam
shaping while presenting a high conversion
efficiency (>95%). Developed by CAILabs
since 2013, MPLC technology has achieved
record results in shape parameters, depth of
field, and energy efficiency. It makes it pos-
sible to generate standard shapes for
the laser industry, such as flat-top and
Bessel beams (FIGURE 3), as well as
customized shapes for more specific
applications, regardless of the wave-
lengths used. In addition, it offers new
features such as the combined shap-
ing of several beams, enabling the
generation of complex shapes.
In the future
The constant evolution of USP laser
sources, especially in terms of power, effi-
ciency, and cost, makes USP laser micro-
drilling a process that can be used by an
MARCH/APRIL 2019 Industrial Laser Solutions
increasing number of applications. Long
reserved for prototyping and microma-
chining applications with small pro-
duction volumes, this technique is
increasingly used as a top method
for a growing number of applications
on a larger scale, such as the manu-
facturing of arterial stents, OLED pan-
els, and injection heads9 with greater
and greater productivity. To ensure
sufficient production rates with opti-
mum machining quality, laser beam shap-
ing maximizes the efficiency of the pro-
cess. This is why it is necessary to have
13 µm
50 0
25°
30°
35°
a beam shaping technology that is able to
meet the challenges of new microlaser drill-
ing applications, accompanying the evolu-
tion of the process. ✺
REFERENCES
1. M. Mielke, Laser Focus World, 49, 11 (Nov. 2013); http://bit.
ly/2RJY0eg.
2. K. Sugioka and Y. Chang, Light Sci. Appl., 3, e149 (2014);
https://go.nature.com/2UN2ouN.
3. K. Sugioka, Nanophotonics, 6, 2, 393–413 (2017); http://bit.
ly/2MTc1p6.
4. S. Sullivan, Industrial Laser Solutions, 31, 3 (May/Jun. 2016);
http://bit.ly/2Gvpr9w.
5. E. Mottay, Industrial Laser Solutions, 32, 4 (Jul/Aug. 2017);
http://bit.ly/2TIrRFP.
6. K. Fuse, Laser Tech. J., 12, 2, 19–22 (Apr. 1, 2015); http://
bit.ly/2MYpLz2.
7. M. K. Bhuyan et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 97, 081102 (2010);
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3479419.
8. F. Courvoisier, J. Zhang, M. Bhuyan, M. Jacquot, and J.
M. Dudley, Appl. Phys. A, 112, 29–34 (2013); http://bit.
ly/2Gs6wwq.
9. B. Peatman, Industrial Laser Solutions online (May 3, 2017);
http://bit.ly/2RMhgaQ.
SAMI LAROUI (sami@cailabs.com) is a pre-sales en-
gineer at CAILabs, Rennes, France; www.cailabs.com.
There, he contributes to the development and com-
mercialization of innovative optical solutions that opti-
mize the quality and performance of laser machining
processes.
23
3/6/19 11:59 AM
 t e c h n o l o g y
Laser additive
manufacturing
moves forward in
Eastern Europe
SEVERAL COMPANIES ARE
ADOPTING THE TECHNOLOGY,
BUT MORE R&D IS NEEDED
EVGENY MOLCHANOV
T
he Eastern European countries
Poland, Czech Republic, Romania,
Slovenia, Slovakia, Livonia, Latvia,
and Estonia are a part of the European
Union (EU) and are deeply involved in
the European scientific society. The
main research and development
(R&D) program is Horizon 2020, a program that is working to
develop Industry 4.0 and localized additive technologies.
Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia have independent academic
backgrounds and their own R&D centers. Over the last 10 years,
substantial investment was made in the technological 3D print-
ing base in universities and corporations that only found a few
success stories for industrial production.
Company adoption
On March 19, 2018, SondaSys (Ogrodzieniec, Poland; www.
sondasys.com) began production using stereolithography (SLA)
and selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printers in cooperation
with the Chinese 3D printing company ZRapid Tech (Suzhou,
China; www.zero-tek.com). At the Seventh International
Conference on Lasers in Medicine (held July 13-13, 2017 in
Timisoara, Romania), interest was shown for new applications
in medicine with laser-based additive manufacturing meth-
ods for metal-ceramic. The Transport and Telecommunication
Institute (Riga, Latvia) includes in the “Research program for
24 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019
1903ILS24-26.indd 24
r e p o r t
FIGURE 1. Using
SLM, it is possible 2015-2020” roadmap that 3D printing is
to make stainless one of the most important trends for R&D
316L components and education.
with many angles. The education of IT engineers for this
industry has already started. Many play-
ers see huge potential in joining IT industrial platforms at com-
panies that are producing, developing, and designing new
products because this offers the possibility for efficient coop-
eration. Using production capacity is an open question for
many companies and focuses on main advantages for every
business, as it is not always necessary for companies to buy
their own machines or hire specialized staff.
Russia, the biggest economy in Eastern Europe, has huge
potential, but needs a lot of R&D for every application. Many
of the Russian Government’s corporations have announced
programs for developing industrial technologies and have
invested in it—however, moving it into the industrial phase
remains a challenge.
One of the metal powder suppliers to the Russian market
is Polema JSC (Tula, Russia; www.polema-rus.com), which
mastered production of materials for metal 3D printing in 2014.
www.industrial-lasers.com
3/6/19 11:59 AM
 In 2018, the company commissioned and
started the unique equipment stock. The
project is remarkable because the com-
pany not only started production of the
traditional materials for additive manu-
facturing, but also has the possibility for
industrial production of spherical pow-
ders of refractory metals such as tung-
sten, molybdenum, chromium and close
sizing. The research work at the company
is also developing new powdered materials
with unique properties that are on the way
to the market. Polema sees great potential
in the additive manufacturing market and
presented powders for 3D printing at the
Formnext 2018 trade fair (held November
13-16, 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany).
The main technology equipment pro-
ducers like EOS (Krailling, Germany),
SLM Solutions (Lübeck, Germany), and
TRUMPF (Ditzingen, Germany) want to
find the best suitable business models
with local corporations and R&D part-
ners for adaptation of their processes to
local requirements.
Conmet (www.conmet.ru), an implant
producer from Moscow, has its roots from
worldwide titanium producer VSMPO
AVISMA (Verkhnaya Salda, Russia; www.
vsmpo.ru) and previous owner Tetuhin
Vladislav. Conmet started with a TRUMPF
machine to develop processing for produc-
tion of personal implants. It is not easy to
meet medical regulations for implementing
new technologies everywhere. The open
FIGURE 2. An assortment of stainless steel 316L parts, ready for polishing, made using
SLM are shown.
www.industrial-lasers.com
1903ILS24-26.indd 25
question is certification for using implants
in daily surgical practice.
Major interest for laser additive manu-
facturing came from turbine and jet engine
manufacturers because of the big advan-
tages that GE (Boston, MA) brought to QUALITY OPTICS FOR OVER A CENTURY
this business. United Engine Corporation
(UEC; Moscow – www.uecrus.com) is
involving R&D academic partners and
investing in a program of interest in addi-
tive technologies like SLM for production
and laser cladding for repairing and pro-
duction. Efforts for developing processes
and issues with certification for aviation
need to be done before we can see printed
turbine blades in aircraft. Use of ceram-
ics for jet engine components and print-
ing them is very positive news.
3D printing for space applications is
very interesting for economic issues.
The Russian Government offered several
R&D grants for equipment and processes
and this is still in the development phase.
The same situation exists in the nuclear
industry, with huge potential and regula-
HIGH PERFORMANCE
tion limitations.
The United Company RUSAL (Moscow;
https://rusal.ru), the world’s second larg-
Laser Debris
est aluminum company by primary pro-
duction output, is trying to find new Shields
markets for aluminum powder through
additive technology development. Many
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3/6/19 11:59 AM
 t e c h n o l o g y r e p o r t

Best uses
Flexibility is one of the
largest advantages in 3D
printing fit to Industry 4.0
paradigms. Additive tech-
nologies have almost 100%
flexibility in design, so the
next step is to fit them
with other production pro-
cesses and get more flexi-
bility for all of them.
As an example, sheet
processing technolo-
gies such as laser, water
jet, plasma cutting, and
punching also have a very
high level of flexibility, but
are limited because after
cutting, many parts go
to bending. Press-brake
bending technology can
be automated, but it is not
a flexible solution due to
the limitation of bending
tooling and the combina-
tion of 3D printing and fully
automated sheet process-
FIGURE 3. Holes of different diameters in 316L stainless steel printed using SLM are shown.
ing running manufacturing
powder production and the best way to commercialize alumi- to Industry 4.0 bending force. The idea is to move designing sheet
num powder. metal products with requirements for production with flexible robot-
Sovremennoe Oborudovanie (Solver Group; Moscow – www. ized press-brake cells. It is possible to make technological pro-
solver.ru) is an integrator of solutions with additive technologies. cesses with a fully automated design and production chain. This
The company business involves modernizing manufacturing com- production is possible because a theoretical bending model cal-
panies with additive technologies. Owners and management of culates all material spring-back and spring-forward for complex
production companies are increasingly interested in additive tech- bending geometrics and raw material verification.
nologies that are complicated enough for their own high-quality Additive technologies can be successfully integrated into pro-
implementation. It is a big advantage in reducing production time duction when all issues, such as processing, economics, and man-
for changing one product’s specification to another, technologi- agement, are considered. One of the main issues is production
cal and assembly operations, facilitating the designs of the parts, cost estimation in the development stage because it is the easiest
and assemblies being developed can be accomplished with addi- for cost reduction. When product development is complete and
tive technologies. Complex projects require integrators with a high it enters the production phase, it is very complicated and expen-
level of competence in a wide range of basic and auxiliary tech- sive to change production costs.
nological processes. International experience shows that the best way to use 3D
Rena Solutions (Tolyatti, Russia; www.rena-solutions.ru), an printing is to develop new business models and optimize it.
automation processing integrator, has experience in develop- Companies that successfully integrate additive technologies in
ing solutions for many automotive companies, including Tier 1 production first find advantages in business processes. There
(FIGURES 1-3). The big change in the last two years has been more are other ways to satisfy customers with new products or advan-
inquiries for automation and quality control for 3D printing parts tages, activities in universities and associations with workshops,
from big industrial players. This company is developing technical conferences and exhibitions, and shows. In Eastern Europe, there
vision for checking roughness after 3D printing on the surface. This is a huge potential for 3D printing in industrial businesses and
application needs to have new algorithms for analysis with high res- it is one of the most attractive technologies for new business,
olution and different geometry in millisecond time. A very import- but it needs to show how to bring the economy to another level
ant issue in this task is using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to be effective. ✺
to detect deviations and creating a base with part photos. At the
moment, there is not an understanding of how to scale technology EVGENY MOLCHANOV (evgeny.molchanov@rena-solutions.ru) is the commercial
for big verification applications. director at Rena Solutions, Tolyatti, Russia; http://rena-solutions.ru.

26 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019 www.industrial-lasers.com

1903ILS24-26.indd 26 3/6/19 11:59 AM

 CALENDAR

MARCH 29-31 Laser Safety Officer Training,

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31-April 4 Additive Manufacturing Users
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 my view
Then and now
S
everal widely promoted applica-
tions, very high power (10 kW+)
thick-section fiber laser cutting and
laser cutting underwater, prompt-
ed me to recall that I have been in-
volved in the field of high-energy density materi-
al processing for a long time, as these were ‘goes
around comes around’ processes. Actually, I’ve
been involved for a very long time, as I will cele-
brate 50 years in industrial laser material process-
ing next year. And prior to this, I also had seven
years in electron beam welding. My laser back-
GROWING LASER
ground was entwined with that of laser weapons,
which were brought back to mind in a recently
INDUSTRY published, very readable book written by friend
and associate Jeff Hecht—Lasers, Death Rays,
CONTINUES TO and the Long Strange Quest for the Ultimate
Weapon (Prometheus Books).
Back then, as a member of the Research Staff
SOLVE PROCESSING
at Raytheon Company, I was part of a ceramic
engineering group charged with growing ruby
PROBLEMS crystals to make the rods for high-output-power
solid-state lasers, in a company bid for substan-
tive government funding. Jeff covers this laser
development period nicely in his book, although
he passes on this early Raytheon effort. But he
does mention how material processing lasers,
those I eventually worked with, were at one point
considered as an alternative to unproven new
laser technology.
Jeff also discusses a then-secret, high-en-
ergy laser that was being tested in a lab adja-
cent to the industrial high-power CO2 application
lab when I was Director of Applications at Avco
Everett Metalworking Lasers. Every time they
fired off a pulse, it was followed by a giant blow-
down of byproducts that prompted its then-se-
cret name—Thumper. Industrial Laser Solutions
Editorial Advisor Stan Ream, who was our appli-
cations engineer then, today still remembers that
“It used to scare the c..p out of us and dust fell off
the walls.” These gases were sucked up by our
air conditioners and fed into our laser enclosures,
28 Industrial Laser Solutions MARCH/APRIL 2019
1903ILS28.indd 28
where they caused the CO2 laser beam to ‘blos-
som’ and lose focus right in the middle of a pro-
cess. This generated consternation among visiting
manufacturing engineers and there was always
a lot of excuses as the ambient air cleared. We
alibied answers to questions about it from our
potential customers, many of whom returned to
their industrial companies with tales of the secret
laser experiments they had overheard.
Well, that was then and this is now. It’s 2019,
and the more-than $5 billion laser industry contin-
ues to deliver advanced laser solutions to today’s
processing problems. A qualified group of authors
has contributed feature articles on current hot
topics: additive manufacturing, joining plastics
to metals, controllable beam shaping, and black
marking of medical devices.
Ahmed Maamoun (McMaster University)
addresses concerns with expensive cost and the
fabricated part’s quality in additive manufacturing
aluminum parts by sharing his research on solu-
tions to some related challenges by using recy-
cled aluminum powder and how process maps
can be generated for additive manufacturing and
post-processing treatments to achieve desired
quality (see page 14).
Companies in Eastern Europe may find this use-
ful, as Evgeny Molchanov (Rena Solutions) reports
that laser additive manufacturing is in a catchup
mode because user companies there are slowly
finding cost-effective solutions (see page 24).
Perhaps hotter in Europe than in the U.S. is
laser joining plastics to metals. Annett Klotzbach
and peers (Fraunhofer IWS) have achieved self-de-
fined goals of developing productive solutions for
direct and form-fit joining (see page 18).
And Europe also seems to be leading the
charge with adaptive beam shaping to simultane-
ously improve laser drilling process results, writes
Sami Laroui (CAILabs; see page 22).
David A. Belforte
belforte@pennwell.com
www.industrial-lasers.com
3/6/19 12:00 PM
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