Aurora Labs (ASX: A3D) has confirmed it will employ the newly-designed AL250 commercial printer as a working model in its own bureau to showcase the technology to potential customers.
The Perth-based company is transitioning from the operation of an RMP-1 3D printer to the new machine which incorporates Aurora’s patented MCP (multi-layer concurrent printing) functionality to increase laser exposure and reduce recoat times.
It ensures custom parts or components can be prototyped and printed in serial production runs, quickly and at costs which cannot be achieved through traditional manufacturing methods.
Powder-dosing mechanism
Central to the AL250’s functionality is a unique powder-dosing mechanism whereby the powder is conditioned with heat prior to being deposited to the recoating system.
It allows powders to be at optimal temperatures for spreading and densifying to build a consistent layer, which can reduce mechanical defects within parts and ensures a quality repeatable build.
The AL250 holds a build plate heater capable of reaching temperatures of 200° Celsius for extra capability in materials research, as well as strict environmental control processes which allow monitoring of the flow and recirculation of gases, temperature and humidity during printing in the build chamber.
Laser power is reported to be at the top of its class with 1500 watts per laser available for use on highly-reflective or conductive powders such as copper.
Potential customers will be able to purchase efficient and optimised laser parameters for processing a variety of powder materials.
Target market
Aurora’s target markets for the AL250 commercial printer includes the defence, aerospace and oil and gas industries, as well as engineering specialists and original equipment manufacturers with libraries of complex parts made in bespoke production runs.
The company said the printer’s ability to solve complex problems with parts through generative designs would be key to demonstrating its strength and flexibility to the wider market.
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