Colibrium Additive has announced the commercial availability of its M Line 4 x 1 kW system for non-reactive materials.
Geared towards additive manufacturing users in aerospace and defence, the laser powder bed fusion system is said to deliver improvements to cost efficiencies and productivity for highly regulated parts.
“The M Line 4 x 1kW system allows manufacturers to accelerate productivity without sacrificing quality,” said Philipp Schumann, product manager – M Line at Colibrium Additive. “It meets the rising demand, especially in highly regulated industries, for faster, more cost-effective production by combining precision where it matters most with efficiency across the rest of the part.”
Announced during Formnext, the system builds on Colibrium’s existing M Line 4 x 400W system with a more powerful laser output (the machine’s four 1kw lasers are said to provide 2.5x greater laser power) and a build volume of 500 x 500 x 400 mm. In a press release, the company said the M Line 4 x 1kW affords users the option to combine high-quality printing for specific areas of complex components alongside high-productivity printing in less demanding areas of the same component. It’s also built on a modular architecture which means the Laser Processing System (LPS) and Material Handling Station (MHS) units are separated to allow pre- and post-printing operations to run in parallel, delivering further time and cost savings.
The machine currently supports printing in CoCr and Ni718 but there are additional materials parameters in development. Existing M Line 4 x 400W system parameters remain compatible with the new system.
Earlier this month, Colibrium announced the delivery of four M2 metal 3D printers to Protolabs. The digital manufacturing provider's Raleigh, N.C. facility is said to be one of the largest of its kind in the nation, featuring nearly 40 DMLS printers, with production capacity of more than 8,000 parts monthly.
