The investigation on laser microfabrication with metallic powder

Abstract

Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology develops fast recent year. It is an inevitable trend to adopt laser melting metal powder material directly to make metal part from RP technology to RM (Rapid Manufacturing). However at present it is still at the stage of exploring to utilize micro powder metal material for micro-fabrication. In this paper two methods of microfabrication were investigated. One is selective laser micro sintering. Equipment of YAG doubling frequency laser was used to sinter metallic powder materials to fabricate micro part. Another is microcladding fabrication. With special designation of powder feeder the fused deposition of metallic powder was conducted. The impact factors such as laser parameters, processing parameters on micro fabrication were analyzed. Through optimization in the parameters, a micro metal part has been successfully fabricated.Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology develops fast recent year. It is an inevitable trend to adopt laser melting metal powder material directly to make metal part from RP technology to RM (Rapid Manufacturing). However at present it is still at the stage of exploring to utilize micro powder metal material for micro-fabrication. In this paper two methods of microfabrication were investigated. One is selective laser micro sintering. Equipment of YAG doubling frequency laser was used to sinter metallic powder materials to fabricate micro part. Another is microcladding fabrication. With special designation of powder feeder the fused deposition of metallic powder was conducted. The impact factors such as laser parameters, processing parameters on micro fabrication were analyzed. Through optimization in the parameters, a micro metal part has been successfully fabricated.