Follow the "light" run metal processing to usher in new opportunities for growth

Nowadays, laser technology application fields widely, especially in the field of metal, the method in the flexible manufacturing system is developing today, metal parts and components industry chain is by batch production more to the spirit of the small batch production, diversified development of the production process of transformation, the laser technology can be quickly integrated into a variety of raw materials, a variety of styles and specifications, Especially suitable for soft production and processing, will play a major role in the transformation here. At the same time, according to the characteristics of laser precision machining, high-speed operation, high flexibility of production, the integration of automation technology and laser system software is an inevitable trend. In the trend of industrial production 4.0, this integration will be more closely, especially in recent years, automatic cutting and welding products continue to show a rapid future development trend, the main use is more common.

The metal field is one of the most important application stores of laser production and processing. The market competition of the sheet metal parts industry in China has gradually become the market competition of high-quality and high-tech components. In order to better adapt to the progressive fashion trend of foreign market, the transformation and development of production and processing technology is imperative. Including laser cutting, laser welding, laser marking, laser additive manufacturing and other laser production processing technology and processing technology will be more and more used in the production of metal products and materials.

High power laser production processing sales market strong laser cutting long-term leading

In recent years, laser cutting with its high efficiency, high efficiency energy relative density, non-contact production processing and toughness characteristics, and its advantages in the field of precision, speed and effect, has become an ideal solution in the field of sheet metal cutting. As a high precision production mode, laser cutting can basically produce and process all raw materials, including two-dimensional cutting or three-dimensional cutting of thin metal plates. In the metal plate cutting industry, from μm grade thin parts to tens of mm thick steel plate, can carry out effective cutting. It can be said that laser cutting in the sheet metal processing plant industry scraping up a key process reform.

It is understood that the laser cutting machine sales market in the period of 2016-2020 compound growth rate will do 8.91%. High power laser cutting machine equipment can be very high precision production and processing categories of common raw materials, whether stainless steel plate, aluminum or plastic. Its ecology allows manufacturers to easily cut raw materials and create devices and components with complex geometric shapes.

Laser-cutting machines dominate the market for metal production and processing: whether it is precisely cutting thermoforming sheets, or creating profiled components with complex design schemes and dimensions, such as car bodies and vehicle offices. Nowadays, the traditional cutting machine is being replaced by the laser cutting machine equipment with excellent light quality and high level of intelligence.

In addition, thanks to the development of China's fiber laser line, automatic control system, production and processing head and its laser cutting machine straw integration in the technology and cost industry, in 2016, the number of laser cutting machine used in the metal sheet production and processing market has basically doubled. This kind of progress also promotes the traditional production process flow which is the core of high speed punch and hydraulic shearing machine to laser production and processing.

According to another report, in 2016, the world's high-power laser production and processing type of income accounted for 47% of the total industrial production of laser operating income. Metal drilling is a driving factor in high power laser production and processing revenue, especially sheet metal cutting, with more than 7,000 related laser system software and lasers sold in 2016, accounting for more than 76% of revenue. In this type, the increase of many high-power fiber line lasers used in sheet metal parts cutting production and processing is more prominent, because the sales growth of fiber line lasers and CO2 commodity comparison is higher than 30%, again dominant. Fiber line lasers account for nearly 50% of the market share in all high-power laser production and processing.

At the same time, high-power and high-brightness instant semiconductor lasers are gaining increasing market share as a large number of system integrators have developed and introduced laser system software for fiber welding, welding and cutting applications. For example, in late 2016, Mazak launched the OPTIPLEX 3015 DDL, a 4kW laser cutting machine that innovates the core concept of laser cutting. The machine uses a new generation of laser generators to apply instant semiconductor material laser technology (DDL) to sheet metal cutting. In addition to the efficiency of DDL in cutting metal sheet has been greatly improved, in the application of hot rolled strip cutting, its quality and CO2 laser commodity comparison has even exceeded. In the production and processing of thick steel raw materials, the surface quality and edge quality of products produced by machinery and equipment are better than fiber laser cutting.

Metal laser additive manufacturing industry to improve not only

With the promulgation and implementation of "China Manufacturing 2025" and "Additive Manufacturing Promotion Plan", additive manufacturing (3D printing) has rapidly increased in the world in recent years, becoming one of the focus of the field. This technology has been widely used in aerospace, vehicle, diagnosis and treatment, metal, mold shell and other manufacturing industries. It has become a key factor in the rapid transformation and development of processing manufacturing industry to intelligence. Additive manufacturing allows products with complex designs to be moulded in a haphazardly integrated way with better precision, with the help of additive manufacturing, by 3D printing physical models of objects obtained.

Different techniques available to accomplish the increase of material manufacturing, such as the type of writing, melting stacking forming vertical modelling design, light curing machine, ion beam smelting, optional heat calcining (SHS), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), immediately metal laser calcination, layered solid line manufacturing and powder bed method, etc. It is predicted that the city's compound growth rate will reach 18-22% from 2016 to 2026. Additive manufacturing promises to give a lot of room for component and finished product design.

Additive manufacturing is the undisputed buzzword these days. And the laser additive manufacturing technology has also become a butterfly in many fields. For example, in 2016, we are happy to see that laser additive manufacturing industry around the world has quietly entered a variety of pioneering achievements, especially in the metal production and processing industry.

For example, led by professor Zeng Xiaoyan of South China University of Technology, the successful scientific research team of "Large and medium-sized metal parts with high efficiency laser PS selective Melting Additive Manufacturing Important Technology and weapons and equipment" new project is now the world's high efficiency and large specifications of high precision metal parts laser 3D printing weapons and equipment. The new project has completed the high efficiency and high precision molding of large and medium-sized complex metal parts. Dual powder dispensing technology was introduced for the first time in SLM equipment, with forming efficiency 20-40% higher than similar equipment.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an important transformation of manufacturing technology, which is relative to traditional mechanical processing, drilling and milling. SLM, as a raw material deposition production and manufacturing method, can produce various complex shapes and make full use of the efficiency ratio of materials. It is one of the concrete methods of green environmental protection in the future. In addition, as one of the immediate additive manufacturing technologies for metal parts, SLM technology has high precision, good characteristics, and does not use mold shell. SLM technology belongs to the common information process, which is irreplaceable in the formation of complex and high precision metal parts at the present stage.

Second, Zhejiang University professor Yao Jianhua expert team led the elite research and development of a "subsonic cold spray laser technology" of the new 3D printing technology, 3d printing and subsonic cold spray technology independent innovation combined to give full play to the advantages of subsonic laser accumulation technology fusion cold spray and laser coating, respectively. In order to achieve high efficiency, high quality, low cost and intelligent system additive manufacturing of important components in high-end equipment manufacturing, we have overcome the technical shortcomings of metal parts additive manufacturing at present.

Look from the international market, France 3 d printing bosses EOS product research and development of the concept of "EOS Shared resource control module design of goods, the control module management system of 3 d printing machinery and equipment is equipped with four metal parts can be achieved by the laser industry manufacture, can ensure that more than one metal with 3 d printing system software to complete step high efficiency operation, Immediate metal laser calcination (DMLS) technology into industrial production. Adira, a Spanish manufacturer of CNC lathes, has unveiled the world's first large and medium-sized flat laser-melted metal 3D printer. It shines by combining the melting of powder beds, 3d printing of instant metal stacking, and laser cutting of metal plates in one device, opening the way for many new applications.

In addition, Trumpf developed and designed a 3D printing system software TruPrint 1000 based on laser metal melting additive manufacturing technology in 2016. Its characteristic lies in can accord with the user a variety of custom-made requirements, for its humanized manufacturing to give lower cost, the largest quality and geometry shape more complex, exquisite lightweight goods. Whether it is disposable, original or small volume production, TruPrint 1000 can be produced together to give your daily life endless artistic ideas.

In addition to convenient design, short manufacturing cycle time, low cost and humanized small-volume production, the advantages of metal 3D printing in the future will also produce two major changes: first, it will cause pioneering harm to prefabricated raw material technology: it will complete the digital production and manufacturing of new materials with excellent performance; Second, it will do harm to the technology of equipment manufacturing industry: complete the digital production and manufacturing of super large and complicated structure.

In addition, China's key scientific research and development program "Additive manufacturing and laser manufacturing" key focus of the implementation period of 5 years (2016-2020), the key task is to improve the basic knowledge of additive manufacturing and laser manufacturing, obtain original technical results, advanced deployment products research and development of the next generation of technology; Break the main electronic devices and important processing technology of additive manufacturing, and develop related key processing technology weapons and equipment; Improve the important technology in laser production and manufacturing, research and development of key functional components of laser with high reliability and long life, domestic excellent lasers, and research and development of high-grade laser production and manufacturing technology weapons and equipment.

In 2016, the key focus in the additive manufacturing and laser manufacturing two areas has started to implement 27 new projects. In which involves mainly include performance excellence in the field of metal production and processing metal parts laser gain material manufacturing controlled form of scientific research, performance excellence in large and medium-sized metal parts laser with step to send powder to add material manufacturing technology and laser weapons and equipment, high reliability powder bed ps district molten material manufacturing technology and weapons and equipment, large size of coated sand casting molding efficiency increase material system Manufacturing weapons and equipment and processing technology analysis.