Integrated industrial metal 3D printing (Additive Manufacturing) and CNC machining
The XtenDED features a twin-head setup that combines the AMBIT laser processing head with the tool magazine of a CNC machine. The AMBIT head adds metal using powder-fed Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) which is a form of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) – where a laser melts feedstock powder as it arrives to the surface of a workpiece. This is an ideal match for applications which benefit from higher metal deposition rates and do not require the internal complexity of powder bed fusion.
The XtenDED hybridized AM/CNC enables increased in-process finishing of AM parts with greater accuracy, higher deposition rates (thicker layers), better surface finish and improved productivity. XtenDED is less wasteful than machining alone and more productive and precise than 3D printing alone. LMD uses less energy and is more controllable layer-to-layer and gives a significantly smaller heat-affected zone (HAZ) versus plasma/wire AM systems.