University of Birmingham gets metal 3D printer from Prima Additive

Metal 3D printing specialist Prima Additive will supply a metal additive manufacturing system based on powder bed fusion technology with an infrared laser and a green laser to the University of Birmingham in the UK.

The system features a novel configuration that uses two lasers of different wavelengths within the same system: a 300 W infrared laser and a 200 W green laser. Both lasers can be used alternately in the same cylindrical working area of 150 x 160 mm, which should ensure high performance, reliability and precise results in every application.

The technology interoperability enables the processing of conventional materials such as steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys with the infrared laser and highly reflective materials such as pure copper or precious metals with the green laser. The green laser overcomes the main problems of absorption, process stability and low efficiency usually encountered when processing these alloys with an infrared laser.

The University of Birmingham plans to use this system primarily for research into novel materials, including functionally graded materials, copper and its alloys, precious metals and refractory metals. Funding for the purchase of this system was provided by a Strategic Equipment Grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Professor Moataz Attallah, AMPLab’s director, said: “The Print Genius 150 Double Wavelength is an exciting addition to AMPLab’s research facilities. The planned research activities will connect the research and innovation landscape, and through commercial work will promote collaboration with innovative manufacturing companies in the UK and beyond. The system is unique in its ability to deliver both infrared and green lasers, which will enable a significant amount of fundamental science to be explored, alongside novel applications.”

Paolo Calefati, Prima Additive’s CEO, declared: “We are thrilled to be suppliers and partners of a prestigious institution like the University of Birmingham: for us, collaboration with universities has always been crucial as it allows us to bring important developments to our products. Universities are often the gateway through which companies decide to approach additive manufacturing. For this reason, the Birmingham area is particularly strategic thanks to the presence of many leading companies, and we are happy that one of our machines can be available for university research and to support innovative companies in the area.”