DMG Mori LASERTEC 125 hybrid
Machine tool manufacturer DMG Mori has introduced a new 5-axis machining centre with integrated additive manufacturing capabilities.
The LASERTEC 125 3D hybrid system, which incorporates machining with laser deposition welding, builds on the smaller LASERTEC 65 3D hybrid launched back in 2013, to support the manufacture, maintenance and repair of workpieces up to 1,250 mm (diameter) x 745 mm (height) and weighing up to 2,000 kg.
The machine is said to offer rapid build rates and reduced processing times due to an automatic changeover between laser deposition welding and simultaneous 5-axis milling in a single set-up. The need to heat treat parts has also been eliminated by the machine's ability to deposit material with a hardness of up to 63 HRC.
A key feature is the ability to quickly change between two welding materials under CNC. This can be particularly useful for delivering parts with different properties in particular areas or controlling a part's cooling characteristics to dissipate heat more effectively.
Application areas include the manufacture of parts with complex geometries such as closed impellers, or in the repair of hot and cold forming and forging dies. DMG Mori says the service life of repaired inserts for a die casting mould, for example, is three times longer than if it had been repaired by manual welding.
The machine is supported by CAM software for powder nozzle technology, developed by Siemens NX, to enable end-to-end programming of repairs and seamless changes between machining and laser deposition welding. An AM Assistant tool with thermal imaging camera is also included to provide continuous monitoring of the build, while threshold values for parameters such as powder volume, working distance or inert gas volume can be stored using the input window AM Guard. Finally, AM Evaluator software offers downstream evaluation of 3D process data on melt pool, powder flow and laser power, which can be displayed graphically for analysis.
