In the LPBF process, metal powder is applied using a scraper and the laser beam is guided along paths over the powder bed. As the laser melts the metal powder, the workpiece is produced layer by layer in the intended shape.
According to Fraunhofer, LPBF makes it possible to produce complex functional components more economically and efficiently. Today, LPBF is used in a range of industrial applications, including turbomachinery and automotive engineering to aerospace and medical technology. LPBF accounts for over 80% of the market for additive manufacturing with metals, Fraunhofer said.
Fraunhofer is now focusing on systems engineering to develop novel machine concepts to increase the productivity of the process.
“Within the next 20 years, LPBF will play an even greater role. I'm thinking of the automotive sector in particular,” said Wilhelm Meiners, inventor of the process along with Kurt Wissenbach and Andres Gasser.
