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Hot off the 3D printer
Additive manufacturing
of tungsten by means of selective
laser beam melting
Additively manufactured tungsten parts after the manufacturing process
when being removed from the powder bed.
Microscopic top view on an additively manufactured
lattice structure made of tungsten
Processing tungsten and other refractory metals using additive manufacturing
processes has become a core competence at Fraunhofer IGCV. The processing of
tungsten by means of laser beam melting is associated with a number of hurdles, which
were identified and largely overcome in the course of the collaboration. Due to the high
material density and the possibility of creating complex geometries, a very interesting
field of application opens up in the area of radiation optics for imaging techniques in
medical devices. Fraunhofer IGCV has already been able to establish new partnerships
in this field. Another promising application lies in the area of space propulsion.
Preheated tungsten build platform
during the additive
manufacturing process
Photos: IGCV, Maximilian Binder
Photos: IPP, Alexander v. Müller
SMALL AND MEDIUM-
SIZED ENTERPRISES