RWTH Aachen’s Foundry Institute to develop novel material systems with Lunovu’s DED machine

October 16, 2020

The Lunovu LMD machine combines powder and wire-based laser cladding processes (Courtesy Lunovu)

The Foundry Institute at RWTH Aachen, Germany, has installed a new Directed Energy Deposition (DED) machine from Lunovu GmbH, Herzogenrath, Germany, at the new Research Center for Digital Photonics Production (RCDPP). The new machine is designed to suit the special requirements and research applications of the institute. 

Lunovu develops and manufactures complex laser systems, including a range of Directed Energy Deposition machines it refers to as Laser Material deposition (LMD), for industrial applications and research and development. 

The Lunovu LMD machine combines powder and wire-based laser cladding processes, meaning that nearly any starting material can be used for research purposes. An inert gas chamber or glove box is incorporated for contamination free processes, reducing the impact of the ambient atmosphere even on high-oxygen sensitive materials.

“The new LMD system is ideal for our research applications. We are now in a position to produce metal powder with our in-house atomisation system, which can be immediately used in the LMD system to produce material samples,” explained Dr Iris Raffeis, head of the institute’s research group for Additive Manufacturing. 

“This approach opens up completely new perspectives for the development and optimisation of material systems in Additive Manufacturing,” she continued. “At the same time, we use a production compatible LMD technology which is already in use in the industry.”

Dr Rainer Beccard, Managing Director of Lunovu, stated, “A special focus was put on the large number of potential applications. The combination of wire- and powder-based processes in an inert gas system offers maximum flexibility and makes the system ideal for complex research tasks. “ 

The company’s product portfolio includes CNC machines and robot-based systems. A special focus is machine intelligence and sensor technology, which facilitates processes on complex freeform geometries without manual programming.

The Foundry Institute at the RWTH Aachen has expanded its traditional casting competence with the new research area of AM. In this area, research is performed primarily on the coupling of complex component structures with optimised material systems and microstructures.

www.lunovu.com

www.gi.rwth-aachen.de/en/foundry

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap