Laser, galvanometer and other core components of 3D printers are being replaced by domestic ones on the road

Introduction to Antarctic Bear: Industrial grade 3D printing (especially metal) is developing rapidly in China, but have there been any bottleneck issues?

In the current advanced manufacturing field, 3D printing technology has attracted much attention due to its astonishing innovation and application potential. The disruptive advantage of this technology not only redefines new possibilities in the manufacturing industry, but also demonstrates enormous potential for application in many fields. With the continuous maturity of 3D printing technology, more efficient processing can be achieved, and there are also breakthroughs in accuracy. The printing efficiency is of utmost importance for the industrialization of 3D printing technology. In recent years, with the increase in the number of printing equipment lasers, the improvement of laser scanning system speed, the increase in laser power, the improvement of maximum forming size, the upgrading of powder discharge methods, and the upgrading of process planning software, the production efficiency of metal 3D printing equipment has been greatly improved.

Domestic laser manufacturers suitable for 3D printing include: Ruike Laser, Changfei Guangfang Laser, Jiepute Laser, Baochenxin (Chuangxin) Laser, Dazu Laser, Gongda Laser, Kaiprin, etc

Domestic galvanometer manufacturers suitable for 3D printing: Dazu Site, Feilaitaike, Hanbang Laser (self-developed and self used), Timing Precision Control, Century Sunny, Anshan Precision, Sepson, Zhibotech, etc

According to statistics from the Antarctic Bear, currently, domestic lasers and mirrors are widely used in fields such as dental metal 3D printing, shoe mold/mold metal 3D printing, etc. Their technical requirements are relatively low and they are extremely cost sensitive. Domestic components can significantly reduce costs and thus be widely used.

The core components of 3D printing equipment, such as lasers and mirrors, play a crucial role in improving printing efficiency and accuracy. After the laser emits light, the precision and efficiency of metal 3D printing technology are jointly achieved through the high focusing ability of the field mirror or dynamic focusing mirror, and the precise control of the galvanometer. Therefore, a deep understanding of the functions and advantages of relevant core components is crucial for exploring the essence of metal 3D printing technology.

China Yijia 3D M1550 metal 3D printer molding warehouse, printing size can be 1550mm * 1550mm * 1000mm, 16 laser beams are scanning and printing simultaneously. The laser and galvanometer used are both imported

Laser

Laser is the light generated by stimulated radiation, which has high processing accuracy and speed advantages due to its strong directionality and high energy density. Laser processing continues to replace traditional processing methods. From the perspective of industrial chain links, the laser industry has formed a relatively complete distribution of industrial chains. In addition, the development of sub sectors such as 3D printing, precision machining, laser welding, and laser cleaning has further driven the growth of demand in the laser industry. As a core component of the laser industry, lasers are the core units that produce lasers, and they have a relatively high value in equipment.

At present, the mainstream types of lasers used for 3D printing on the market include fiber lasers, solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and carbon dioxide lasers. 3D printers will match different lasers according to different molding materials. However, as an independent industry, the continuous development of laser manufacturing has brought about significant changes in their matching with 3D printing processes.

△ CO2 laser

There are many types of ultraviolet lasers used for photo curing, such as early helium cadmium lasers (wavelength 325nm, power 15-50mw) or argon ion lasers (wavelength 351-365nm, power 100-500mw). These lasers were used in early SLA equipment, with laser beam spot sizes ranging from 0.05-3mm. At present, solid-state ultraviolet lasers are commonly used in photocuring, with an output wavelength of 355nm and an output power close to 800mW that is adjustable. The lifespan is significantly increased, and it can continue to be used by simply replacing the laser diode.

△ UV laser

The laser sintering technology uses a carbon dioxide laser with an output wavelength of 10.6 μ m. The power can range from a few watts to tens of thousands of watts, and the beam quality is extremely high. It is often used to process non-metallic materials (with a high absorption rate for this wavelength). In laser sintering technology, the power of CO2 laser can be selected in the tens of watts, and the spot diameter is about 0.4-0.5mm. It can be used to sinter non-metallic materials such as nylon, coated sand, ceramics, and PS powder. In addition, early LOMs also used CO2 lasers for contour cutting.

△ Shenzhen JPT continuous fiber laser

Metal printing lasers have gone through several stages of development, mainly including CO2 lasers, YAG lasers, and fiber lasers. The output wavelength of CO2 laser itself is very long, and the absorption rate of metal materials is low, so the power of CO2 laser used in early metal printing was often several thousand watts. YAG laser can output 1.06 μ The wavelength of m has high coupling efficiency with metals and good processing performance. The effective power of an 800W YAG laser is equivalent to the power of a 3KW CO2 laser. Later, as fiber laser was gradually pushed into the commercial market, the drawbacks of YAG laser continued to emerge. The use of more integrated, higher electro-optical conversion rate, and more stable performance fiber laser became a major trend in the development of metal printing.

At present, although there are still relatively few YAG lasers used for metal printing, the absolute majority have been occupied by fiber laser in the market. The output wavelength of fiber laser for SLM is usually 1.07 μ m. There are several levels of output power, such as 300w, 500w, 1000w, etc., and the scanning spot is generally 80-150 μ Within m.

△ Foreign manufacturer IPG laser launches YLR-U-SM series 500w-2000w single-mode laser in 2023

In mid December 2023, in order to further understand the development status of the domestic laser industry and technology, Antarctic Bear conducted an exclusive interview with the leader of the domestic laser industry, Jet, titled "Domestic Laser Assists Metal 3D Printing Cost Breakthrough, Antarctic Bear Interviews Jet". The head of Jeep told the Antarctic Bear that the current laser market competition is very fierce. Especially for metal 3D printers, their requirements for lasers are much higher than those for cutting and welding: the output beam quality, M2, needs to be less than 1.1. Now, Jeptte generally achieves 1.06-1.09 for batch shipments of lasers in the 3D printing industry. The common laser on the market has a long-term power fluctuation of about 3% -5%; But 3D printing generally requires long working hours, with a power fluctuation requirement of 2% or even 1%. Especially if a single metal machine is equipped with 2 or 4 lasers, each with a certain error, the printing effect will be poor, and the consistency requirement will be very high. For the technological updates of the next generation of lasers, Jet has also made a layout: (1) AOB laser: the laser output spot is circular, the inner and outer ring lasers are independently controllable, and the output spot is single mode/multi-mode adjustable. Compared to the current mainstream 500 watt laser solution, it can improve the filling efficiency of metal 3D printing by several times. (2) Multiple lasers and multiple sets of mirrors can be controlled using a single controller to achieve 1-to-4 or more, improving response speed and control accuracy while also reducing the difficulty of adjusting multi head tuning.

Galvanometer

Scanning galvanometer is a vector scanning device used in the field of laser processing, which has the characteristics of small inertia, high-speed scanning, precise positioning, and closed-loop feedback control. It is composed of an optical scanning head, an electronic driving amplifier, and an optical reflector lens. It reflects the laser through two mirrors, forming the motion of the XY plane. It is mainly used in conjunction with the mirror control system and is a special motion device specifically used in the field of laser processing. It has a very small moment of inertia and a very small load during movement, with only two small reflective lenses controlled by different motors for deflection. The system's response is very fast, with characteristics such as high-speed scanning, precise positioning, and closed-loop feedback control.

△ Working principle of galvanometer

In 3D printing scenes, the jumping speed and accuracy of the galvanometer are crucial, especially when creating lightweight structures and support structures, frequent jumping and high accuracy are required to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the printing surface. In addition, due to the use of layer by layer scanning in 3D printing, the cumulative processing time of the workpiece is longer than that of welding with new energy batteries, so the stability and heat control requirements for the galvanometer are relatively high. Antarctic Bear 3D Printing Network is a professional platform in China's 3D printing industry. It has been observed that with the continuous growth of demand in the 3D printing market, the compound annual growth rate of mirrors applied in this industry is expected to exceed 30%.

From 2000 to now, the galvanometer has undergone multiple technological iterations and its application scope is constantly expanding. Initially, domestic applications were mainly concentrated in the mid to low-end market, especially in the marking industry. With the rise of consumer electronics, semiconductors, and photovoltaic technology in China, high-end mirrors with higher speed and accuracy have been widely used.

The laser processing control system is the core of advanced laser manufacturing, consisting of motion control software and cards, integrating multi domain technologies. Among them, the galvanometer system achieves precise deflection of the laser beam through the galvanometer motor, which is applied in the field of micro and nano processing and has high speed and accuracy. Compared to servo systems, the galvanometer control system has higher speed and accuracy, making it suitable for small format micro/nano machining. The laser processing control system is the core CNC brain of laser processing equipment, which integrates advanced technologies in multiple fields such as computer, laser and optics, motion control and automation, and visual tracking, and is matched with components such as lasers and high-precision mirrors to meet the needs of laser advanced manufacturing. It belongs to the new generation of information technology industry that integrates laser advanced manufacturing.

The galvanometer control system is a type of laser processing control system, consisting of galvanometer motor, laser reflector lens, and control drive board. The galvanometer control system injects a laser beam into the galvanometer and controls the reflection angle of the galvanometer through a computer to achieve the deflection of the laser beam. This allows the laser focal point with a certain power density to move on the marking material according to the required requirements, leaving a permanent mark on the surface of the material. The galvanometer motor is a special type of swinging motor, which follows the design method of an ammeter. The galvanometer motor can only perform deflection motion, and the deflection angle is proportional to the current. The galvanometer motor drives a rotatable low inertia mirror to position the laser beam, and adopts a position sensor and negative feedback circuit design, fully ensuring that the galvanometer system has a high level of scanning speed and repeated positioning accuracy. Compared to servo control systems, the galvanometer control system can achieve a maximum movement speed of over 3600 meters per minute in terms of speed, while the maximum movement speed of servo control systems usually does not exceed 120 meters per minute. In terms of accuracy, the precision requirement of the galvanometer control system is between 0.5um and 10um, while the precision requirement of the servo control system is slightly lower, generally around 50um. The galvanometer control system has the characteristics of high precision and high speed, and is mainly used in the field of micro and nano processing with small format. The servo control system is suitable for large-area macro machining and is widely used in large-area cutting and welding, including sheet metal processing, automotive manufacturing, aerospace and other fields.

The scanning speed of the galvanometer is also one of the core factors affecting printing efficiency. The faster the scanning efficiency of the galvanometer module, the less adjustment time for laser scanning can be effectively reduced, and the higher the production efficiency. In addition, the larger the maximum format and forming size of the processing, the more suitable it can be for components of different sizes. At the same time, the single board can also mass produce more parts, which improves the output efficiency of individual parts and reduces costs. In addition, performance parameters such as maximum power and processing layer thickness of lasers are also improving, including the improvement of process planning software for cutting efficiency, printing efficiency, and ease of use, all of which are contributing to the industrialization of metal 3D printing technology.

The Development Status of Core Components of Industrial Grade 3D Printing Equipment in China

The problem of severe dependence on imports for core components of industrial grade additive manufacturing equipment in China remains prominent. The core components of additive manufacturing equipment, such as high beam quality lasers and beam shaping systems, high-speed scanning systems, high-power laser scanning galvanometers, dynamic focusing mirrors and other precision optical components, as well as some electrical components, rely on imported products. The imported core components mainly include lasers, scanning galvanometers, and electrical components for motion control systems. A considerable portion of the company's equipment's core components have a certain dependence on foreign brands.

The core components required for 3D printing equipment include galvanometers and lasers. In the prospectus released by Huashu High tech in 2022, it was stated that,

Its lasers are mainly imported from the United States and Germany, and the proportion of imported lasers purchased accounts for 82.88%, 88.01%, 86.08%, and 69.90% of the total laser procurement, respectively. The company mainly imports resonators from Germany, and the proportion of imported resonators purchased accounts for 100.00%, 98.02%, 100.00%, and 99.13% of the total resonator procurement, respectively. After the reporting period, the proportion of imported resonators has decreased, but the proportion of imported core components is still high, and there is a risk of import dependence. The company's core components, lasers and resonators, have a high degree of dependence on imports. Imported resonators and lasers have a long history of application in the industry, with mature and stable performance and relatively higher popularity. However, there is still a certain gap in the technological maturity of domestic resonators and lasers compared to imported resonators and lasers. The company has gradually adopted domestically produced lasers and resonators in some small and medium-sized equipment models, but their long-term stability is insufficient compared to imported components, and the company is unable to achieve effective comprehensive domestic substitution in the short term.

In the prospectus of Huashu High tech, the purchase amount of galvanometers and lasers is relatively high

△ Business situation of Huashu High tech 3D printing equipment from 2019 to 2022 H1. Source: Huashu High tech Prospectus

At present, the market size of China's galvanometer control system is about 2 billion yuan, with the high-end market accounting for 1.5 billion yuan. It is expected to reach 2.5 billion yuan by 2025. In 2021, the sales of the galvanometer control system increased by 35%, with a sales scale of 386 million yuan. According to the 2021 China Laser Industry Development Report, the sales volume of low-power precision machining control systems in 2020 was 238500 sets, benefiting from the continuous high demand for laser processing equipment. In 2021, the sales volume of galvanometer control systems increased by 35%; According to the average price of 1200 yuan per set of mirrors, the sales scale of mirrors reached 386 million yuan in 2021.

According to the Industry Research Center of Wikimedia, from 2014 to 2022, the number of mirror manufacturing enterprises in China increased from less than 10 to over 20. The low-end market of the galvanometer control system has achieved localization, while high-end applications are still dominated by foreign enterprises, with gaps in high-precision marking, marking, and drilling fields. The market size of domestic high-power laser control systems increased by 85.7% year-on-year, higher than the growth rate of mid to low-end laser controllers. In recent years, domestic suppliers have developed rapidly, and the low-end market of galvanometer control systems has basically achieved localization. In the high-end application field, it is currently mainly occupied by foreign companies such as CTI from the United States, Scanlab from Germany, and Rayase. In the fields of high-precision marking, marking, and drilling, there is still a significant gap between domestic mirrors and foreign manufacturers.

The galvanometer control system is located in the middle of the industry chain, with applications covering consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing, mechanical manufacturing, lithium batteries, and other fields. Policy support and the development of laser technology drive market growth, and the fields of photovoltaics, new energy, and 3D printing provide new opportunities for galvanometer applications, with broad market prospects. The galvanometer control system is a key component in the midstream of the industrial chain, which cooperates with lasers, mechanical systems, etc. The upstream of the galvanometer control system includes light source materials, optical components, and other materials such as capacitors and resistors. From a direct upstream perspective, laser control system suppliers need to interface with chip manufacturers, PCB manufacturers, and related wire suppliers. From the current situation of domestic substitution, some chips can achieve localization, but some still rely on international suppliers such as Texas Instruments. PCB and wire are basically domestically produced, with sufficient supply and transparent prices. The downstream of the galvanometer control system includes laser cutting, welding, marking, cleaning, 3D printing and other laser equipment. Among them, the production of laser cutting equipment, laser welding equipment, and laser marking equipment account for 38%, 28%, and 15% respectively, totaling over 80%. From the perspective of downstream applications, the galvanometer control system is mainly applied in consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing, mechanical manufacturing, lithium battery production, aerospace, rail transit, medical and other fields.