Albuquerque, NM - Optomec has announced availability of a lower-cost offering in its lineup of metal 3D printers named the LENS 450. The LENS 450 is built on the same LENS core technology that is used throughout industry to repair, coat, and rapidly manufacture a wide variety of high performance metal components. The system was developed specifically in response to growing industry interest in 3D printing of metals, including the need to train a new generation of workers in metal additive manufacturing technology.
The first delivery of the LENS 4503D printer will be to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science at the University of Pittsburgh, where it will be used in its new Advanced Manufacturing education program. Professor C. Isaac Garcia stated, "Re-establishing America’s global competitiveness is dependent upon a new generation of technicians and engineers trained in advanced manufacturing technologies. The LENS 450 system is an excellent tool to conduct basic and applied research, and for training students on industry proven technology for metal Additive Manufacturing."
The LENS 4503D Printer can process a wide variety of materials, including stainless steel, cobalt chrome, titanium and super-alloys, making it suited for rapid prototyping and repair of small metal components. The cost-effective system provides a 100mm^3 (64 cubic inch) work envelope within a Class 1 laser enclosure that is hermetically sealed to maintain a pristine processing environment and operator safety. Additional features include a 400 W fiber laser, powder feeder, motion control system, and proprietary part preparation and process control software.
Optomec is a privately held, rapidly growing supplier of additive manufacturing systems. These solutions utilize Optomec’s patented aerosol jet printed electronics technology and LENS (laser engineered net shaping) printed metal technology to reduce costs and improve performance.
