We design and build 3D printers and print heads utilizing HD SLS™/HD SLM™
We build 3D High Definition Laser Sintering (HD SLS/HD SLM) printers to create physical objects from digital models by fusing powder in a series of layers.
The invention of our revolutionary multi-patented printhead, the Øgon (zero-gon for resembling a polygon with 0 corners), delivers better than IT grade 13 standard accuracy by utilizing our Lens Free Optical Scanner (LFOS).
WHAT MAKES OUR TECHNOLOGY DIFFERENT
High Definition Selective Laser Sintering (HD SLS ™) and what it means for your print
The 3D market is growing exponentially every year. Especially during these unpredictable times, with supply chain interruptions, being able to print parts has never been so crucial. The HD SLS scalability allows us to print uniform parts of any size or quantity. Our system uses one laser capable of scalability, reduces component parts and complexity, compared to a multi-laser system. This means less waste, higher productivity and cost saving.
How We 3D Print
Our LFOS consists of 2 mirrors, one stationary and one rotating. The first mirror rotates and has focusing functions on its surface to bring the beam into focus. The second mirror properties allow it to further focus and steer the beam to strike the surface. By creating a system where the beam is always perpendicular to the work surface, and the distance between the printhead and the print bed is reduced, the beam is free of distortions and delivers constant energy to every pixel.
The Environmental Effects of 3D Printing
The environmental impact is significantly reduced using the LFOS technology as it can focus a beam at a short distance from the mirrors to the print bed. Reducing the space allows us to build a smaller printer that produces equal, if not higher, quality parts than its counterparts. The reduction in heat use, waste, and electricity are not only environmentally friendly but cost-efficient as well. In addition, since the printer uses a rotating mirror, as opposed to a linear actuator, it can print at a much higher speed by eliminating the stop-and-go action and remaining in constant motion.
Our system is scalable since the beam is always constant, and the energy deposition never changes regardless of the beam location on the print bed.
Pinpoint accuracy, precise energy, and temperature regulation produce robust parts with a consistent microstructure required for manufacturing end-use parts, not just prototyping.
3D SLS/SLM Traditional Printers Vs. Tecnica 3D HDLS/HDLM Technology
For close to three decades, SLS/SLM 3D printer manufacturers have been trying to improve the quality of their prints by mitigating errors, building multi-laser systems, and creating new materials. The core technology, however, has stayed the same. For example, the use of galvanometers, the mirrors that steer the laser beam across the print surface, have inherent flaws that make them impossible to precisely control the amount of energy supplied to each point on the print surface. In addition, due to unequal temperature distribution, the result is porous, not internally homogeneous, parts. In particular, high-quality metal parts, which require precisely controlled print temperature, still need to be within reach with the current technology.
Tecnica’s 3D printers use our revolutionary, multi-patented Øgon print head instead of galvanometers to steer the laser beam across the print surface. Unlike galvanometers, the Øgon’s architecture ensures consistent energy delivery and precise positioning of the laser beam on the surface because of its unique properties:
- The laser beam travels the same distance to reach every point on the print surface, so it is always sharply in focus, heating the desired point on the surface precisely without unintentionally heating the area around it.
- The laser beam is always perpendicular to the surface, so the shape of the beam on the surface is not distorted. (Think of shining a flashlight straight on a wall versus at an angle.)
With the Øgon’s pinpoint accuracy and precise energy and temperature regulation, we can achieve the consistent high quality, homogeneity, and strength that product designers require for final-part production, especially in metal.
Because the simple, elegant design of Tecnica’s Øgon print head eliminates the need for the complex workarounds used by galvanometers, it provides a more robust and cost-effective solution. As a result, Tecnica’s printers will offer the productivity and cost efficiencies that meet supply chain managers’ requirements for final parts.