Technology

Shibaura Machine's ZK Series of metal 3D printers are based on a directed energy deposition system that uses metal powder and laser energy (Directed Energy Deposition - Laser Beam, or DED-LB).

DED-LB system

Laser energy passes through the optical system inside the molding head and irradiates the workpiece surface. Metal powder is poured into the melted section for forming beads, and these are lined up side by side or stacked vertically to form the shape by additive manufacturing.

Features

1) Molding head developed by Shibaura

An optical head was developed by Shibaura for efficiently supplying the laser energy to the molding points. This also includes an optical system that supports high-output lasers for enabling high-speed molding.

2) Molding nozzle developed by Shibaura

A molding nozzle was developed by Shibaura for supplying metal powder to molding points. The internal structure was optimized for enabling stable supply of metal powder to molding points for delivering high-accuracy molding.

3) Four Advantages

The DED-LB system has four advantages. The four main advantages are as follows.