Rapid manufacturing of metal parts and tools using laser melting

State of the art generative manufacturing processes for metals are either limited by the use of special powder materials or the manufacturability of certain geometric features. To overcome these limitations the Fraunhofer ILT and TRUMPF are developing the Laser Melting process. The purpose is to build up customized parts in small lot sizes and serial tools with internal structures using standard materials. Materials under investigation include stainless steel, tool steel and titanium alloys. Parts manufactured by Laser Melting will be characterized and examples of industrial applications such as functional prototypes, individual parts like medical implants and tools will be presented