Sintavia, a leader in digital aerospace manufacturing, has announced the commissioning of the first multi-laser industrial 3D printer in the United States. The new printer is equipped with the innovative nLIGHT AFX beam-shaping fiber laser systems. The printer, an AMCM M290-2, features twin 1.2kW lasers that allow operators to adjust the beam’s spot size and shape without losing power or material density. This enhancement results in more efficient production and reduced waste.
Brian Neff, Sintavia’s founder and CEO, shared his excitement about the new addition to the company’s fleet. “This new 3D printer will allow us to increase production and improve the quality of our components,” he said. “In the coming years, we aim to print parts with layer thicknesses of 150µm or more without compromising material properties. This will significantly boost the output of our printers.” Neff also noted that the nLIGHT system could be retrofitted to other existing EOS and AMCM 3D printers with minimal additional equipment.
The nLIGHT beam-shaping technology represents a major leap forward in laser productivity. Unlike the standard Gaussian laser shape used in the powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing process, beam shaping enables the laser to melt material in a diameter that is over three times larger. As a result, it is now possible to print thicker layers — up to three times the standard thickness of 30-45µm — without losing material performance. This improvement reduces the number of layers needed and minimizes the production of condensate, the metal vapor created during the PBF process.
Condensate is a significant byproduct in PBF manufacturing, and studies have shown that using the nLIGHT beam-shaping lasers can reduce condensate waste by up to 70%. Additionally, by fully melting thicker layers without sacrificing density, the grain size in the z-direction is enhanced, improving material performance, especially for applications that require high creep resistance.