Modular open source laser based 3D printing machine

KU Leuven has 30 years of experience in Additive Manufacturing (AM) research, also called 3D printing, and is well-known worldwide for its pioneering role in this domain. Spin-off companies as Materialise and LayerWise (now 3D Systems) illustrate this. The AM equipment currently available at KU Leuven often outperforms commercially available equipment, but is most often not suited for cooperating with other KU Leuven teams due to the complex nature of such machines, the limited availability and flexibility and the fact that changing those machines for new project objectives is time and cost intensive as the hardware and software is not foreseen for this. The request and opportunities for teaming up with different KUL teams is however very high, hence this application for co-funding of a high performant, easy to modify, open source, repeatable and commercially available laser based 3D printing machine that would allow our team to more efficiently continue our collaborations with KU Leuven colleagues.

Keywords:3D printing, Additive Manufacturing, Laser processing, Mechanical Engineering, 3D printing machine

Disciplines:Manufacturing processes, methods and technologies, Computer integrated manufacturing