At Formnext 2019 many were in awe seeing the very large LASERTEC 125 DED hybrid system from DMG Mori. This year there was no physical formnext but if DMG Mori could have shown its newest 3D printer it would have dwarfed it. The LASERTEC 6600 DED hybrid system is a behemoth with up to 1,040 mm on the X-axis, -280 mm to +330 mm on the Y-axis, 3,890 mm on the Z-axis. Yes you read correctly: that’s 4 meters (a bit more than 12 feet) on the Z-axis. Considering that the LASERTEC 65 hybrid could cost as much as $1.5 million, 3dpbm expects that the LASERTEC 6600 DED Hybrid’s price could levitate to above $3 million.

This means it can be used to make parts that are as large as Φ1,010 mm × 3,702 mm. Something this huge is a bit hard to miss, but apparently, almost everyone did miss it, since it was released in August of this year and the only portal to report on this story in English was Seisanzai Japan, while Fran Coenen’s Made in Europe portal reported this story in Dutch (and we missed that too). In fact, DMG Mori also released another machine, not quite as large but not so small either: the LASERTEC 4300 DED hybrid. This clearly indicates that the company really believes in its DED hybrid AM business. This machine can be used to make large parts up to Ø 660 mm, 660 mm in Z (axial) or up to Ø 545 mm, 1,500 mm in Z (radial).

These huge, and highly automated, hybrid DED metal 3D printers are particularly suited for large workpieces including rocket engines for the aerospace industry, oil-well pipes for the energy industry and shafts for transport aircraft.

Big machines for a big market

In a Q&A session released in early 2020, on the occasion of the FY 2019 results announcements, DMG Mori reported that additive manufacturing orders grew by 20% year on year and accumulated orders climbed to JPY 11 bn (about $100 million).

During FY 2019, DMG MORI had already expanded its advantage product line, launching the second generation LASERTEC 12 SLM and LASERTEC 125 3D hybrid, which can handle a table load of up to 2000kg. At the Pfronten Open House (private show) held in February 2020, the LASERTEC 30 Dual SLM was introduced to the market. With two lasers, productivity could be improved by around 80%, and the scan control technology has been shifted from analog to digital, improving resolution and control speed, and increasing customer satisfaction. The technology is expanding from prototypes to aircraft, medical and mold parts manufacturing, and the company thinks that annual orders will soon reach JPY10 bn.

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