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Addireen, Green-Laser Additive Manufacturing Technology, 99.9% Dense Pure Copper Parts

A joint research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai University has developed groundbreaking green-laser Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology, achieving 99.9% dense pure copper parts. This new technology, showcased in the Journal of Materials Processing Technology, enhances the potential for producing high-quality copper components using Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) AM.

Green Laser Technology for Efficient Copper Manufacturing

The research focuses on using green lasers to process highly reflective copper in a PBF-LB AM system. The XH-M160G AM machine, equipped with a 500 W single-mode continuous fibre green laser, was used to investigate the effects of different laser parameters, such as scanning speed and powder feed rate, on the resulting copper components. Green laser energy has a high absorption rate of approximately 85%, significantly improving printing efficiency while reducing spattering during the melting process.

The experiments demonstrated that optimizing laser parameters can produce copper components with over 99.9% relative density and 98% International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS) electrical conductivity. This achievement is a major step forward in AM technology, particularly for high-reflectivity metals like copper, and highlights the role of green lasers in overcoming challenges faced by traditional manufacturing methods.

Green-Laser AM Machines for Various Industries

Addireen’s green-laser powder bed fusion AM machines, including the M100G, M160G, and M350G models, offer significant advantages in manufacturing pure copper and other highly reflective metals like gold, platinum, silver, tantalum, and tungsten. These machines feature high-power single-mode continuous green fibre lasers developed in-house and are designed to provide high beam quality, stability, and precise control over thermal input.

Additive manufacturing with these green-laser machines enables the production of components with exceptional thermal conductivity of up to 390W/m·K. For example, the liquid heat sink and heat exchanger components produced can withstand water pressures exceeding 8 MPa at a wall thickness of just 0.5 mm. These advancements make green-laser AM machines ideal for industries such as aerospace, new energy vehicles, induction heating coils, and high-speed communication devices.

en.sjtu.edu.cn