Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
A PolyJet printer fabricating one of the candidate structures for this topic's
cover page
Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS)
Another member of the selective deposition printer family, Laser Engineered
Net Shaping (LENS), blows powdered material into a carefully guided high
power laser beam. Some of the powder misses the beam and falls aside, but
the lucky particles that hit the focal point of the laser get instantly melted
and fused to the growing part surface. Thus, as the laser focal point scans the
contours of the object and the nozzle blows more powder, the part gradually
grows, layer by layer.
The advantage of this process is that it can make objects from hard materials
such as titanium and stainless steel. Until such metal “printing” processes were
invented, 3D printing wasn't taken that seriously by “big” industries because
it could only work in plastics (polymers). When metal printing processes like
LENS emerged, big industries such as aerospace and automotive became more
interested in 3D printing. LENS technology is used today to make complex
objects from hard metals, such as titanium turbine blades with internal cool-
ing channels.
