InssTek

MX-Lab is a 3-axis LP-DED instrument for alloy and new material research. Utilizing a standalone powder feed system with up to 6 channels and Material Designer Software, it allows for the design of compositions for various metal powders and the efficient fabrication of test specimens for alloy evaluation. It is suitable for material research and process development, including HEA, FGM, and in-situ alloying.

Insstek provides process condition data for approximately 20 types of standard metal materials by default upon equipment introduction. Process condition settings generally include laser power, powder feed rate, gas flow rate, travel speed , oxygen concentration below 50 ppm , etc. It is carried out through adjustments , and we conduct relevant technical training during the implementation phase so that customers can directly fine-tune process conditions for specific research and testing purposes.

The MX-Lab model comes with a standard 500W laser output and can be expanded up to 700W through additional options. The higher-spec MX-Lab Pro model provides 500W output as standard and can be configured with 700W or 1kW output depending on the option.

The application of a Blue Laser is possible. However, to install a Blue Laser light source in the system, changes to the overall layout of the equipment are required , including modifications to the optical system (including the processing head), expansion of equipment specifications and external dimensions, and the configuration of an additional chiller . As this may require a larger installation space compared to the existing standard MX-Lab model, prior technical consultation regarding detailed specifications and application directions is necessary.

As with other DED systems from Insstek, high-purity argon gas (>99.99%) is used to create an inert environment. Although there are some differences in the required gas flow rate depending on the material being processed, typically about 20 to 30 L of argon gas is consumed per minute during the process.

MX-Lab supplies argon gas into the chamber through atmosphere control functions, such as an Auto Purge System or a Gas Purification System, to lower oxygen concentration and prevent material oxidation. Through this inert environment configuration, reactive metals such as titanium (CP-Ti, Ti-6Al-4V), as well as non-fusible materials such as niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W), can be processed. It provides a stable additive research environment for high-melting point metals (refractory metals), aluminum/magnesium alloys, and high-entropy alloys (HEA) containing reactive elements.

MX-Fab is a simultaneous 5-axis LP-DED machine for industrial part manufacturing and process development. Depending on the application, it can be configured with a 1-channel or up to 6-channel powder feeding system, and using MiXO Software, it can generate 5-axis additive manufacturing paths for various metal materials and efficiently produce industrial parts and test specimens.

The specific equipment selection is determined by comprehensively analyzing the maximum size, weight, shape, applicable material, target productivity, and utility/facility constraints of the customer's factory for the part to be processed. Depending on the working environment and application characteristics , a robot-based customized system can be considered as an alternative to the gantry -type MX-Fab series.

Before the process starts , the MX-Fab operates a purification system to supply argon gas into the equipment and monitors oxygen concentration and humidity in real time. During processing, the purification circulation function continuously circulates argon gas to maintain a uniform inert state inside. Based on the MX-Fab 3 model, it takes approximately 4 hours to reach an oxygen concentration suitable for processing (50 ppm or less), and this may vary slightly depending on the initial quality of the incoming argon gas.

The powder feeder (PCM series) integrated with the MX-Fab system is divided into the PCM-Single type, suitable for single-material processes , and the PCM-Multi type, for multi-material additive manufacturing and alloy research. The equipment can be configured by selecting feeder specifications to suit the processing purpose and application conditions.