Fonon targets the mining industry with Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) metal 3D printing technology

Fonon Corporation, a multi-market holding company, research and development center, and designer and manufacturer of advanced laser material processing systems for subtractive and additive manufacturing, is introducing applications for its application-specific Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) 3D printing technology for metal additive manufacturing in the mining industry.

Mining machinery and structural components must withstand extreme shock loads and vibrations. Often used in remote and difficult to access locations, these machines require robust and durable spare parts. Fonon’s BTS technology offers a solution by making it possible to produce parts and tools directly on site.

Instead of holding large inventories or suffering downtime when spare parts are not available, Fonon’s BTS system allows operators to reproduce old or defective parts on site. This technique combines traditional additive manufacturing processes with laser technology and the production of original metal powder to recreate three-dimensional models.

This innovative method makes it possible to source critical parts faster, reduce on-site inventory and achieve a more sustainable supply chain carbon footprint. Physical inventories can be replaced with digital ones and new components can be produced on demand. BTS-powered systems allow users to manufacture complex geometries and optimize the design of existing parts for better performance and reliability. They also benefit from reduced material waste.

Fonon’s goal with BTS technology is to improve industry practices and make progress towards sustainability goals. While traditional subtractive manufacturing methods create waste, Fonon reconstructs the product and its subcomponents into a single structure, resulting in minimal waste and material cost savings. In addition, transportation resources are reduced as metal 3D printing takes place closer to the point of use.

Fonon’s 3D laser metal printing systems utilize a layer-by-layer, digitally controlled additive manufacturing process that uses high-quality, focused laser energy to transform metal powder into 3D objects. Production quality parts and metal prototypes can be produced directly from a digital model using BTS technology.

Utilizing Direct Drive Motion and proprietary LaserComb Beam Shaping technologies, a powerful laser is positioned for improved production speed and consistency. This system also ensures balanced light distribution across the powder bed, allowing for a significant reduction in reflection and improved beam quality. The technology eliminates the need for galvo scan heads, ensuring a consistent laser focus throughout the build process and all layers, resulting in uniform products. The technology also supports fast processing over a larger area with a uniform, high-precision laser beam.

The BTS technology represents the continued expansion of Fonon’s technology portfolio, backed by patents, licenses, advanced hardware and proprietary metal processing intellectual property, to develop specialized 3D metal printing systems for industrial and manufacturing purposes that represent the fastest path to production readiness.