Newtek

The technology centre has an extensive technological range of options in the field of laser manufacturing available via the “Laser for Manufacturing Lab” that covers the design and manufacturing of unique laser components and equipment in the market.

Within the framework of advanced manufacturing and its area of specialisation, IK4-TEKNIKER is developing integral solutions whose aim is to design and manufacture high-added value components using laser.

The technology centre has an extensive range of options connected to this field at the “Laser for Manufacturing Lab”, a value proposal for laser manufacturing that the Basque technology centre presented at the recent edition of the Machine Tool Biennial.

Simulation of equipment and components

Simulation is one of the initial stages in these design processes for equipment or components. There are two types of simulation.

• Optical simulation: Used to model laser radiation and how it interacts with different optical components.

As regards optical simulation, it must be stressed that IK4-TEKNIKER has designed and optically simulated a medium-power laser diode system and a wire LMD (Laser Metal Deposition) head.

• Finite element simulation (FEM): Modelling and simulation featuring different numerical techniques (finite elements, finite volumes, analytical methods, etc.) are used to optimise manufacturing processes based on laser technologies, by guiding and supplementing laboratory trials, thus avoiding costly trial and error procedures.

Some examples of what IK4-TEKNIKER has developed in this field are related to the optimisation of conventional and remote quenching processes for steel that also address microstructural and mechanical aspects; the calculation of residual stresses and distortions in additive manufacturing processes or the optimisation of hybrid metal-metal and metal-polymer welding processes.

Design and manufacturing of equipment

The Laser for Manufacturing Lab offers unique laser equipment, their integration in industrial processes and an insight into the sector's current trends in terms of developing high throughput technologies.

• Unique equipment: Unique equipment adapted to solutions demanded by the customer and for which there is no standard solution available in the market.

Within this scope of work, the technology centre has designed and manufactured equipment for additive manufacturing using wire LMD geared towards the production of large metal structures (up to 1900 x 900 x 800 mm³).

The technology centre has also developed a complete laser welding unit (including the mechatronics and the high-power laser) to weld polymers or dissimilar polymer-metal joins.

• Integration of unique equipment in production processes: Manufacturing capacity of unique equipment is complemented by the possibility of including them in customer production processes.


• High throughput solutions for the industry: As the Laser for Manufacturing Lab is fully aware of the laser market's current trends it offers its experience in terms of optimised equipment to achieve high throughput. (it is a fact that that X2, X5, X10 are significant improvements in manufacturing speed compared to other commercial equipment without diminishing the end quality).

It is in this field that the technology centre has developed equipment featuring micro-drilling capabilities for large surface areas in aeronautical applications in which high drilling speeds have made it feasible to develop hybrid High Laminar Flow Control structures (HLFC).

Design and production of smart components

In addition to designing and manufacturing complete equipment, the Laser for Manufacturing Lab also delivers manufacturing solutions for smart components to be installed in proprietary and commercial solutions.

• Nozzles, mounts and heads: The manufacturing of heads, nozzles and mounts to develop different laser processes.
• Components for monitoring and process control: Integrating components to monitor and control laser processes accurately.

• Laser beam modification systems: Developing components for laser beam shaping, conversion or delivery. The integration of these components in laser equipment gives rise to optimisation and the development of new processes.

The implementation of new processes and the need to have new materials/requirements require a global solution to interpret all of these capabilities via a single collaborator: the Laser for Manufacturing Lab.