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________________________________________________ ____ Press Release | Presseinformation | Communiqué de presse | Comunicado de prensa | Comunicato stampa | Пресс-релиз | Imprensa | Persbericht | Notatka prasowa █ Aerospace: Powder-bed-based laser melting with metals (LaserCUSING ® ) Thales Alenia Space and Poly- Shape SAS build Europe’s largest qualified 3D metal printed part for satellites LaserCUSING from Concept Laser in satellite technology PR 7-2016 Words: 1,403 | Characters : 7,362 document.docx Page 1 of 41

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____________________________________________________Press Release | Presseinformation | Communiqué de presse | Comunicado de prensa | Comunicato stampa | Пресс-релиз | Imprensa | Persbericht | Notatka prasowa

█ Aerospace: Powder-bed-based laser melting with metals (LaserCUSING ® )

Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape SAS build Europe’s largest qualified 3D metal printed part for satellites

LaserCUSING from Concept Laser in satellite technology

Topology-optimized XXL part: Koreasat-5A and 7 as a milestone for additive 3D metal printing

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Lichtenfels (Germany), July 11, 2016: Additive manufacturing makes more than just headlines. The industrial revolution of 3D metal printing is pointing the way to a change in manufacturing strategies. And facts are being established which will herald a fundamental paradigm shift for the manufacture of metal parts. AM is really pointing the way forward when it comes to substitution or as a hybrid strategy in combination with conventional machining methods.

Once again, the aerospace industry is driving forward innovation and acting as the

spearhead for digital manufacturing. The most recent signal comes from Thales Alenia

Space. Working in collaboration with the 3D printing service company Poly-Shape, it has

produced additively manufactured parts for the new South Korean communications

satellites Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7. Koreasat-7 is set to go into orbit in 2017 at

position 116º East in order to provide coverage for South Korea, the Philippines,

Indonesia and India. Koreasat-5A will cater for Korea, Japan, Indochina and the Middle

East from the position 113° East. Koreasat-5A should be launched before 2017 second

quarter.

XXL component produced in collaborative working relationshipThe Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 antenna supports will be the largest volume parts so

far produced by powder-bed-based laser melting of metals from Europe to be in orbit.

With dimensions of 447 x 204.5 x 391 mm3 – and weighing just 1.13 kg – they really can

be referred to as lightweight components. A really huge piece of engineering. The

additively manufactured 3D components are used as basic antenna supports for the

communication with ground base of the Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 satellites. An

identical part was installed in both satellites. The dimensions presented a real challenge

for Thales Alenia Space. They were manufactured by the French company Poly-Shape.

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It is a renowned partner to the aerospace industry when it comes to prototyping, 3D

metal printing and assemblies.

Lightweight construction and reduction in costs as crucial advantagesAluminum (Al) is the metallic material most commonly used for satellites due to its

weight and thermal conductivity. The less weight that needs to be put into orbit, the

better. Florence Montredon, Head of AM at Thales Alenia Space, says: “As a rule of

thumb, the actual costs of putting 1 kg into orbit are around EUR 20,000. So every gram

really does count. The starting weight of the two new satellites is around 3,500 kg.” AM’s

potential for lightweight design was therefore a key reason to move away from the

traditional methods. For these AM parts Thales Alenia Space chose an AISi7Mg alloy.

Applications in space demand high strength, rigidity and resistance to corrosion from the

materials that are used. The component validation process also revealed a low porosity

rate on the finished component of < 1%. The tests of tensile and shear strengths also

produced pleasing results. For example, the tests in relation to symptoms of fatigue

according to Wöhler yielded values that significantly exceeded the required

specifications. Minor deviations in the geometry were corrected with simple reworking,

as was a small crack which was revealed by the CT. Fairly small pores inside the

geometry were accepted following localized mechanical analysis. Ultimately, the parts

successfully passed the dynamic tests carried out at Thales. Florence Montredon: “The

effects were huge: A 22% weight saving for the bionic AM structure compared to a

conventional structure. Not forgetting a reduction in costs of around 30% with the

finished part being available very much faster.” The cost reduction of 30% is attributable

to various factors. First there is the reduction in outlay on assembly: The redesign as an

additive, bionic part replaced the number of parts that were previously produced from

nine to one. And this was done through one-shot manufacturing, without the previous

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outlay on assembly. Secondly there was no need for mold construction, as casting

would have needed to make the same part. Thirdly the temporal aspects are interesting

when it comes to completing the ambitious stages of a project such as this on time. This

is known in industry as time to market. In this sector, it is referred to as time to fly.

Machine and plant technology from Concept Laser on XXL scalePoly-Shape has 28 3D metal printing machines which have different sizes of build

envelope. The largest build envelope dimension for 3D printing with aluminum at Poly-

Shape is currently an X line 1000R from Concept Laser. It offers a build envelope of 630

x 400 x 500 mm3 and has a closed system for reliable process and powder management

in accordance with the ATEX directives. The X line 1000R also has a rotating

mechanism which allows two build modules to be used reciprocally, thus guaranteeing

constant production with no downtimes. This unique machine design not only results in

greater availability, but also simple and above all secure handling when arming and

disarming the machine. The follow-up model, the X line 2000R, has an even bigger build

envelope (800 x 400 x 500 mm3), which is currently unique in the world when it comes to

powder-bed-based laser melting. The usable build volume is again increased, in

comparison to an X line 1000R, by around 27% from 126 l to 160 l. The follow-up model

also operates with two lasers, each delivering 1,000 watts of power. The LaserCUSING

process technology from Concept Laser was very important for the project: What makes

systems from Concept Laser unique is stochastic navigation of the slice segments (also

referred to as "islands") which are processed successively. This patented process

ensures a significant reduction in stresses when manufacturing very large parts. With

huge dimensions of 447 x 204.5 x 391 mm3, it is obvious to want to control warping to

the maximum extent possible. The X line 1000R offers balanced temperature regulation

of the build envelope in order to prevent warping in the “oversized” parts. The large,

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bionic and intricate geometry takes a great deal of time to assemble: It took only a few

days to print it.

Design to suit the processThe transition over to AM also means rethinking the design. To make full use of the

potential offered by laser melting, it makes no sense to replicate a geometry 1:1.

Lightweight design and bionics demand a design to suit the process. CAE-CAD-based

methods are used to trim the 3D components to a performance-focused geometry,

bionics, and lightweight design. The design was optimized in several transitions at

Thales Alenia Space (AM design optimization), for example in respect of the various

joining and mounting techniques. In addition, there was fine-tuning in the area

surrounding the satellite in order to guarantee a maximum precision fit. The topology

was optimized in 2-3 passages. The CAD data then underwent a redesign and

smoothing before a mechanical analysis and simulation took place. Furthermore, the

design was optimized to suit the process-related circumstances in the build envelope

with Poly-Shape. This involved the orientation of the part in the build envelope and the

necessary support structures. Thales Alenia Space also incorporated methods of LBM

(Layer-Based Manufacturing). Florence Montredon: “It is clear that we have identified

AM as a good prospect for further projects. In the future, we would also like to

incorporate thermal control technology or radio functions directly on or within the 3D

structures. So functional integration is the next task. This is also a logical consequence

of the potential offered by AM.”

Verdict

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In the Koreasat-5A and 7 project, the feasibility of highly sophisticated and very large

AM parts for applications in space was highlighted. The redesign as an additive, bionic

part made it possible to reduce the number of parts from nine to just one part. Thanks to

this method, the manufacturing process was carried out in one shot, so without the

previous outlay that was needed for assembly. There was also significantly enhanced

potential for a lightweight design. 22% of the mass was saved with this AM solution.

This resulted in a final weight of just 1.3 kg. This was a huge leap because in these

applications every gram really does count. The 3D geometry was optimally trimmed for

use in orbit. The project’s impressive results highlighted the potential that additive

manufacturing offers in space travel and this project will undoubtedly not be the last of

this type.

# End of the press release #

Print approved – ask for copy

____________________________________________________________________

Interview with Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape on the Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 project

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Participants:

1. Florence Montredon, Additive Manufacturing Technology Development Manager, Thales Alenia Space, Cannes (F)

2. Stéphane Abed, CEO, Poly-Shape SAS, Salon de Provence (F)

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Editor: Which techniques and manufacturing methods do you use to manufacture your

products?

Florence Montredon: Given the very low quantity of individual components for

satellites and the small number of satellites in general, 3D printing is an ideal option for

manufacturing. By comparison, cast parts, that is to say mold-based processes, tend to

be more suitable for components that need to be manufactured in larger batches.

Editor: Please outline the Koreasat -5A and 7 project in brief.

Florence Montredon: By manufacturing the Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 telecoms

satellites, we wanted to demonstrate that the laser melting technology opens up

numerous possibilities for our applications. The essential benefits are the short timeline

from design and development through to the finished part. Also the high level of

efficiency. Ahead of our project, a first AM part was initially manufactured from

aluminum. This part was successfully approved in 2014 and used for the Turkmenalem

Monacosat in April 2015. The two new parts for the satellite are used as basic antenna

supports for communication with the ground base. They are also made of aluminum.

They were manufactured by the French company Poly-Shape. The first challenge was

that we needed two identical parts: They are twins – one for Koreasat-5A and the other

twin for Koreasat-7. But the principal challenge was the size. In comparison to our

previous references and experiences, the dimensions of the parts were huge.

Editor: Please describe the parts to us in brief.

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Florence Montredon: Aluminum is the metallic material most commonly used for

satellites – due to its weight and thermal conductivity. For these AM parts we chose an

AISi7Mg alloy. This standard material has already been validated in casting technology

for space applications. The redesign as an additive, bionic part made it possible to

reduce the number of parts from nine to just one part. In one shot, so without the

previous outlay that was needed for assembly. There was also significantly enhanced

potential for a lightweight design. We saved 22% of the mass, which resulted in a final

weight of just 1.13 kg. This was a huge leap because in our applications every gram

really does count.

Stéphane Abed: The dimensions are 447 x 204.5 x 391 mm3. A huge dimension. It took

around six days to print them. It is the largest AM part destined for orbit that has so far

been produced in Europe.

Editor: What were the particular challenges of building the biggest 3D metal part?

Stéphane Abed: Examples of the issues involved were feasibility, the tendency to warp,

geometry and the weight. Using CAE/CAD tools for optimization, the Thales Alenia

Space designers managed to optimize the design, that is to say the geometry, to suit the

process and at the same time save weight and meet the load requirements. The Thales

Alenia Space designers did a very good job. The final design was then optimized and

fine-tuned in numerous redesign stages with close collaboration and interaction between

Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape when it came to fabrication. What we have here is

a bionically optimized design.

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Florence Montredon: The antennas supports then underwent both specific elementary

on ground tests. They will also be submitted to usual testing at satellite level: this

includes a vibration test and high temperatures in a vacuum in order to test a required

lifespan of 15 years in orbit.

Editor: How did you embark on laser melting?

Florence Montredon: Laser melting is a very promising process for satellite

applications. It is perfectly suited to small numbers of units, opens up plenty of scope for

lightweight design and is an ideal option for very complex geometries.

Editor: What experience did you gain in the project with laser melting in comparison to

the previous manufacturing strategies?

Florence Montredon: The powder-bed-based laser melting technology is ideally suited

to optimizing the design and makes it possible to achieve a significant weight saving.

And weight reduction is one of the most important objectives for us. As a rule of thumb,

the actual costs of putting 1 kg into orbit are around EUR 20,000. Space law also

encourages us to reduce the quantity of metallic materials in flying objects because they

present an emissions hazard when the satellite re-enters the atmosphere. So it is all

about lightweight design, sustainability and helping to protect the environment. We do of

course also expect these technologies to reduce costs and deliver benefits in the tight

schedule for space missions. In the project, we identified a cost-savings potential of

around 30% compared to the previous conventional solution with assembly.

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Editor: How did the collaboration between Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape come

about?

Florence Montredon: We met the team from Poly-Shape SAS in 2010 at a joint French

R&D project. It quickly became clear to us that the team from Poly-Shape would

become a strategic partner for our AM developments. We worked together very

successfully and above all quickly to develop the first aluminum parts. It was therefore of

course obvious that we would want to work with them again on this new challenge.

Editor: Why did you choose to use machines from Concept Laser?

Stéphane Abed: Concept Laser was a particularly attractive option here because these

machines are the only ones that offer the build envelopes required for 3D metal printing.

There are currently no other alternatives, unless you use smaller build envelopes and

then join the parts together. This carries the risk of weak points in the structure. One

theoretical alternative would have been to print the parts in two halves and join them

together, but we would have lost the benefit of the reduction in the amount of assembly

work that is possible here. In addition, the joining process may have revealed possible

defects which can be ruled out with the one-shot option of laser melting. Not forgetting –

with one part we can achieve our objective faster.

Editor: Which machines did you employ at Poly-Shape for the 3D metal printing?

Stéphane Abed: Poly-Shape has 28 3D metal printing machines which have different

sizes of build envelope. This allows us to cater for almost any dimensions that

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customers want. In principle, we focus on rapid prototyping and small batches. The

largest build envelope dimension for 3D printing with aluminum at Poly-Shape is

currently an X line 1000R from Concept Laser. The technology used there is known as

LaserCUSING. The LaserCUSING process technology was very important: What makes

systems from Concept Laser unique is stochastic navigation of the slice segments (also

referred to as "islands") which are processed successively. This patented process

ensures a significant reduction in stresses when manufacturing very large components,

as in this case. The X line 1000R offers balanced temperature regulation of the build

envelope in order to prevent warping in the “oversized” components. In addition, on this

machine we are able to create not just aluminum parts, as are customary in satellites,

but also process reactive materials such as titanium or titanium alloys, or also nickel-

base alloys. These groups of materials are vital in aircraft construction. Concept Laser

now also offers an X line 2000R with multilaser technology. This might be an interesting

option for us due to the increased build rate and an even larger build envelope (800 x

400 x 500 mm3). The latest technology is hugely important to us: In 2015 alone, we

invested around 2.5 million EUR in plant technology and tools, as well as around 1

million EUR in research & development.

Editor: What new experiences were you able to gain in the project?

Stéphane Abed: 3D metal printing necessarily requires a design that suits the process

so that the advantages of a digital approach can be exploited in full. In terms of the

freedom of geometry, the advantages are huge and incomparable to anything offered by

conventional manufacturing technologies. Digital parts look different, do more, and tend

to be lighter. In certain batch size ranges, by which I mean small and medium-sized

batches, they are often the better alternative from an economic perspective. But the

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limits shift upward every year, and this opens up more and more new horizons for AM.

Assignments for Thales Alenia Space do of course present particular challenges for the

whole team. But there is also the benefit of building up a great deal of know-how in

design, development and process configuration. This does of course also apply to our

other customers in the aerospace sector. I always say: Aerospace provides good

training and practice to be right at the forefront with additive strategies.

Florence Montredon: To deliver such quality for the demanding applications in space

travel, there does of course also need to be a strong partnership between the end user

and the manufacturer. You need to be able to rely on your partner. A close working

relationship and mutual interaction between Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape was

essential, also for meeting the ambitious timetables. Teamwork and communication are

very important.

Editor: Did functional integration play a role in the project or not? How do you see this

in the future?

Stéphane Abed: The 3D aluminum part replaced nine parts from the previous design.

The old design was an arrangement of 2 sandwich honeycomb panels with metal inserts

and milled webs which were screwed and stuck together. We have now been able to

produce this structure in one shot in a single component without any need for assembly.

Florence Montredon: It is clear that we have identified AM as a good prospect for

further projects. Lightweight design, unlimited geometric freedom, functional integration

as well as time and cost benefits clearly favor this technology. The Arabsat 6B satellite,

which was launched into orbit in November 2015 in French Guiana, has 3D parts on

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board. But our experiences will take us still further. In the future, we would also like to

integrate thermal control technology or radio functions directly on or within the 3D

structures. So functional integration is the next task. This is also a logical consequence

of the potential offered by AM.

Editor: What do you think about when it comes to “materials”?

Florence Montredon: New materials with AM are of course an area of great interest.

Specific powder alloys will probably be developed and validated in the future in order to

meet greater requirements in the areas of lightweight design, functional integration or

loading. For applications in space, we generally require high strength, rigidity and

resistance to corrosion from the materials that are used. In particular to cater for the

stability requirements of scientific and observation satellites, the materials should

display very low thermal expansion.

Editor: Let’s now examine the prospects for powder-bed-based laser melting of metals.

What trends do you see impacting on the aerospace sector in the medium and long term

as a result of AM technology?

Florence Montredon: I believe that 3D metal printing will enable new products to be

manufactured, based on a very integrated functional approach. The size of the parts and

the build rates will probably also increase. This does of course present a real challenge

for machinery and plant manufacturers. I also believe that in the future technologies will

need to be combined to a greater extent in order to derive the maximum benefit for the

end product. This is an idea for hybrid parts or hybrid processing, that is to say AM and

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milling, AM and joining technology or the assembly of AM parts and lasered profiles. In

every conceivable case, laser technology will have an important role to play. The new

possibilities will shape future manufacturing. Conventional technologies will be

complemented by new technologies. They will grow together and will be partly

substituted, as in our case. The future is bright and offers a range of answers. The

digital process chain of 3D printing will set new standards. For new products with

properties that exceed today's solutions and for new manufacturing concepts that save

weight, time and money.

Editor: What do you expect from the machinery and plant manufacturers?

Stéphane Abed: A young technology such as laser melting offers great opportunities,

but also risks. This applies equally to the machine manufacturers and to us as users.

The rapid pace of technical progress demands constant investments in the latest

technology to improve the added value. In the case of 3D printing, the drives for

innovation are comparable to those in the computer industry. As a daily and now long-

standing user of the technology, Poly-Shape will require more quality management and

greater productivity in the manufacturing process in the future. The parts that we

produce are parts that have extremely sophisticated functions, are exposed to high

loads and sometimes are very sensitive. This requires an extremely high level of quality

to meet the ambitious requirements. Quality management can be carried out during the

actual manufacturing process with the latest machines available on the market. For

example, Concept Laser offers QM Meltpool 3D as a tool for this. There is thus no need

for destructive and expensive tests which were previously commonplace. The second

point relates to the build rates from an economic point of view. One answer here is to

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embrace multilaser technology and further efforts on the part of the machinery and plant

manufacturers.

Editor: We thank you for the interview.

Captions ████████████████████████████████████████

Captions 1 a+b: Europe’s largest additively manufactured part in orbit: an antenna

support for satellites made of aluminum (dimensions: x: 447 mm; y: 204.5 mm; z: 391

mm3 – excluding height of build plate) produced on an X line 1000R from Concept

Laser.

Caption 2: Original design: Conventional component assembled from 9 parts and with

22% additional weight: arrangement of 2 sandwich honeycomb panels with metal inserts

and milled webs which were screwed and stuck together.

Caption 3: Lightweight structure in orbit: Koreasat-5A

Caption 4: Florence Montredon, Additive Manufacturing Technology Development

Manager, Thales Alenia Space (F): “I believe that 3D metal printing will enable new

products to be manufactured, based on a very integrated functional approach.”

Caption 5: Stéphane Abed, CEO, Poly-Shape SAS (F): “3D metal printing necessarily

requires a design that suits the process so that the advantages of a digital approach can

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be exploited in full. The parts produced look different, do more, and tend to be lighter.”

(Picture courtesy of: Poly-Shape SAS)

Caption 6 a+b: X line 1000R at Poly-Shape (picture courtesy of: Poly-Shape SAS)

Caption 7: The successor model to the X line 1000R, the X line 2000R from Concept

Laser (build envelope: 800 x 400 x 500 mm3), equipped with two lasers producing 1 kW.

(Picture courtesy of: Concept Laser GmbH)

All pictures courtesy of: Thales Alenia Space (unless specified otherwise).

About Thales Alenia SpaceThales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), is

a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation,

exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two

parent companies' “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and

solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions,

constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and

radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to

expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues of 2.1 billion

euros in 2015, and has 7,500 employees in eight countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

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About Poly-Shape

Poly-Shape SAS is a manufacturer and service provider in the field of design for additive

manufacturing and small batch production. Additive manufacturing with plastics and

metals plays a very important role when solutions are being devised for customers. As a

full service provider, the spectrum of services ranges from initial design through to the

finished part with finishing and assembly work.

Poly-Shape’s prominent sectors include applications in the aerospace industry,

accounting for around 40% of sales. Its key customers include Airbus Helicopters,

Safran, Dassault and Thales Alenia Space. Three sites are operated in France, along

with one in Italy and one in Spain, in order to operate in close proximity to the aerospace

industry. Starting 2016, Poly-Shape was involved in Aeronautical serial production

requests, the company has founded a Joint Venture called Lisi Aerospace Additive

Manufacturing (LAAM) in partnership with the company Lisi Aerospace.

This new company is now an European leading additive manufacturing company in the

field of aerospace.

Poly-Shape employs 48 staff and generated sales of 3.8 million EUR (2014) and, 64

staff and generated sales of 5.7 million EUR (2015).

Contacts ███████████████████████████████████████

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Concept Laser GmbHAn der Zeil 8

D-96215 Lichtenfels

Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 9571 / 1679-0

Internet: www.concept-laser.de

Press contact:Daniel Hund

Phone: +49 (0) 9571 / 1679-251

E-mail: [email protected]

THALES ALENIA SPACE5, allée des Gabians

F-06156 Cannes La Bocca Cedex (Alpes Maritime)

France

Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts:

Sandrine Bielecki

Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94

[email protected]

Chrystelle Dugimont

Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 74 06

[email protected]

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____________________________________________________Press Release | Presseinformation | Communiqué de presse | Comunicado de prensa | Comunicato stampa | Пресс-релиз | Imprensa | Persbericht | Notatka prasowa

Poly-Shape SAS235 rue des Canesteu

ZI La Gandonne

F-13300 Salon de Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône)

France

Contact:

Stéphane Abed

PDG / CEO

Phone:+33 (0) 4 13 22 19 10

LaserCUSING® background information ███████████████████

Key word: LaserCUSING®

The patented LaserCUSING® process from Concept Laser is used to create high-

precision mechanically and thermally resilient metallic components. The term

"LaserCUSING®," coined from the C in Concept Laser and the word FUSING, describes

the technology: The fusing process generates components layer-by-layer using 3D-CAD

data.

In this process, fine metal powder is melted locally by a high-energy fiber laser. The

material solidifies after cooling. The contour of the component is created by redirecting

the laser beam using a mirror redirection unit (scanner). The component is built up layer

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by layer (with a layer thickness of 15 – 500 μm) by lowering the bottom of the build

chamber, applying more powder and then melted again.

Source: Concept Laser GmbH

What makes systems from Concept Laser unique is stochastic navigation of the slice

segments (also referred to as "islands") which are processed successively. This

patented process ensures a significant reduction in stress when manufacturing very

large components.

Concept Laser at a glance ██████████████████████████

Concept Laser GmbH from Lichtenfels, Germany is today, unlike almost any other

company, one of the real pioneers and key drivers of powder-bed-based laser melting

with metals. The technology driver here is the patented LaserCUSING® process, also

referred to as 3D metal printing, which over the course of 15 years has evolved the

additive manufacturing of 3D components from a rapid technology to the stage of

industrial series production.

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When Frank Herzog founded Concept Laser GmbH back in 2000 in Lichtenfels, a metal

laser melting machine was an entirely unknown quantity in the market. How is a 3D

geometry created from metal powder using a laser? What does 3D printing or a digital

process chain mean for the manufacturing of the future?

The answer was industrial machine technology: Concept Laser unveiled the first

machine of this type in 2001 at Euromold in Frankfurt. With 50 patents granted today

and over 100 patent applications, Frank Herzog and his workforce of more than 170

employees continue to champion and develop the LaserCUSING® process. The

company caters for the global market for laser melting machines across all different

sectors from sites in Germany, the USA and China and through a network of more than

35 distribution and service partners.

Concept Laser's high quality standards, expertise in processes, applications and

materials deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions which prove their effectiveness in

everyday production and are primarily aimed at reducing part costs. In addition to

commercial aspects, the process offers a large number of other benefits compared to

conventional methods of production: The components are lighter, the designer has new

freedoms, the topology and geometry are optimized, additional functions can be

integrated, and less raw material is required. What this means is parts that were

previously manufactured using machining processes are now being redesigned to fully

exploit the new potential offered by additive manufacturing.

Concept Laser offers a range of small machines (50 x 50 x 80 mm3) right through to the

machine with the world’s largest build envelope (800 x 400 x 500 mm 3). Machines from

Concept Laser that are equipped with multilaser technology are among the fastest,

safest and highest-quality laser melting machines in the world. More than 550 installed

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machines and prestigious references and projects of this Franconian “hidden champion”

around the globe send out a clear message and symbolize an outstanding technology

for the future sealed with the endorsement “Made in Germany”.

For example, today the aerospace industry, automotive industry, medical technology,

dental technology, toolmaking and other sectors focus strategically on 3D metal printing

as the economical and high-quality production strategy of the future that embraces the

notion of "Industry 4.0.”

Prizes & awards ████████████████████████████████

2001 Presented with the EuroMold Silver AWARD for the M3 linear

LaserCUSING® machine

2008 Presented with the Bavarian Innovation Prize for the M2 cusing

LaserCUSING® machine

2012 Presented with the EuroMold Bronze AWARD for the X line 1000R

LaserCUSING® machine

2014 BAVARIA’S BEST 50 prize-winner

2014 Finalist in the “Large Companies” category for the German Industry

Innovation Prize in the shape of Frank Herzog, Managing Director of

Concept Laser GmbH

Project: “The first 3D-printed titanium component on board the A350 XWB”

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2015 The “European CEO of the Year Additive Manufacturing” award was

presented to Frank Herzog, Managing Director of Concept Laser GmbH

2015 Nominated for the German Future Prize – Prize awarded by the German

President for technology and innovation

Project: “3D printing in commercial aircraft engineering – a manufacturing

revolution is taking off” in the shape of Frank Herzog, Managing Director of

Concept Laser GmbH

2015 FOCUS Growth Champion

2016 Winner of the International Additive Manufacturing Award with the QM

Meltpool 3D quality monitoring tool, which was developed in-house

The art of LaserCUSING® by Concept Laser

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