Robot Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Illustrated - Profe Saul

Introduction
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California, produces a line of inkjet printers that feature multiple jets to
speed up the modeling process.
Directed Light Fabrication (DLF)
The Directed Light Fabrication (DLF) process, diagrammed in Figure 9,
uses a neodymium YAG (Nd:YAG) laser to fuse powdered metals to
build 3D models that are more durable than models made from paper or
plastics. The metal powders can be finely milled 300 and 400 series
stainless steel, tungsten, nickel aluminides, molybdenum disilicide, copper,
and aluminum. The technique is also called Direct-Metal Fusing,
Laser Sintering, and Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS).
The laser beam under X-Y computer control fuses the metal powder
fed from a nozzle to form dense 3D objects whose dimensions are said to
be within a few thousandths of an inch of the desired design tolerance.
DLF is an outgrowth of nuclear weapons research at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, and it is still in
the development stage. The laboratory has been experimenting with the
Figure 9 Directed Light Fabrication (DLF): Fine metal powder is distributed on an X-Y
work platform that is rotated under computer control beneath the beam of a neodymium
YAG laser. The heat from the laser beam melts the metal powder to form thin layers of a
3D model or prototype. By repeating this process, the layers are built up and bonded to
the previous layers to form more durable 3D objects than can be made from plastic.
Powdered aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and other metals have been fused to make
prototypes as well as practical tools or parts that are furnace-fired to increase their bond
strength.