BLT explores the use of Additive Manufacturing in advanced robot component design
October 22, 2024

Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies Co., Ltd (BLT), based in Xi’an, China, has been exploring how Additive Manufacturing can be leveraged in the production of robotic parts. The company has outlined a number of robot components it has manufactured and explained the advantages of using metal Additive Manufacturing in the design and production process.
In recent years, the momentum of technological revolution and industrial transformation has been accelerating, explains BLT. Robotics, as a major innovation integrating information technology, control systems, and intelligent manufacturing, is increasingly pivotal in this transformation. Combining these disciplines not only brings mutual benefits, but can spur ground-breaking applications, advancing industries such as manufacturing, research, and education.
The use of Additive Manufacturing is revolutionising the creation of complex mechanical structures, with adaptive and highly flexible features, continues BLT. This synergy is said to transcend traditional manufacturing limitations, marking a new era where mechanical engineering and materials science are deeply intertwined.
High-precision and efficient industrial Additive Manufacturing machines are pushing the boundaries of product design and manufacturing. These machines enable the rapid, flexible, and cost-effective production of enclosures and other components.

Complex structure forming
Additive Manufacturing enables the creation of robotic parts with sophisticated internal structures and unique shapes, such as topological and multi-scale lattice designs. For example, BLT’s lattice cube exhibit incorporates eight different types of lattice cell structures within a single unit.
Lightweighting is crucial for enhancing a robot’s performance and energy efficiency. Applying such designs to parts enables significant lightweighting, reducing the overall weight of components, improving robotic mobility, and decreasing energy consumption.

Rapid prototyping
Additive Manufacturing enables designers to swiftly produce multiple digital models, providing rapid functional validation and performance testing during the design phase. This capability accelerates prototype development, cutting both time and costs. For instance, BLT’s trunk exhibit features parallel microchannels for heat dissipation on one side and biomimetic bone structures with multi-scale lattice characteristics on the other, resulting in optimal stiffness. These two designs are seamlessly combined into a single exhibit through Additive Manufacturing.

Integrated manufacturing
The single-step forming capability of Additive Manufacturing allows for the integration of multiple functional components during the design phase. One of BLT’s exhibits, for example, integrates flow channels, actuators, and heat sinks into a unified structure that meets strength and functional requirements while reducing assembly costs and enhancing product stability and reliability.
Diverse material selection
Additive Manufacturing supports a wide range of materials, including plastics, metals, and ceramics, each offering specialised options to meet the demands of robotic components in various applications, such as high-temperature or corrosion-resistant environments.
Customisation and cost efficiency
With Additive Manufacturing, customers can quickly turn design concepts into functional prototypes, enabling rapid identification and resolution of design issues in the early stages. This development cycle but also reduces innovation costs. For small-batch or customised production, Additive Manufacturing eliminates the need for complex mold-making processes, streamlining production and lowering upfront development costs, enabling rapid manufacturing.
On-demand production and inventory optimisation
Additive Manufacturing enables local, on-demand production, shortening supply chains, and reducing logistics and inventory costs.
In summary, Additive Manufacturing introduces unparalleled flexibility and innovation to the manufacturing of robot components, making the production process more efficient, adaptable, and creative. Looking ahead, future robots can be expected to feature lighter structural designs with enhanced functionality and broader application potential.