3D printing Optomec has added new software to its LENS directed energy deposition (DED) metal 3D printers.
According to the company, the Huffman AutoCLAD vision and software system can generate a custom toolpath for each part prior to processing and can be used to repair reactive metals such as titanium in a controlled, argon atmosphere.
AutoCLAD works by imaging the part and automatically adapting and modifying the toolpath and DED parameters for each individual part based on variations in orientation, dimension, and shape. It can adjust the toolpath for variation and adapts laser power to reduce the heat input into thinner areas, which can help reduce the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the finished part.
‘We see this as a big win for customers who want to use DED for the repair of titanium components as well as anyone doing repetitive part repair in industries such as oil and gas, mining, and tool and die,’ said Mike Dean, marketing director at Optomec.
This story uses material from Optomec, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
