Additive tooling process reduces corrosion. (Keeping up with Tooling).Laser Engineered Net Shaping Laser engineered net shaping or LENS® is a technology developed by Sandia National Laboratories for fabricating metal parts directly from a computer-aided design (CAD) solid model by using a metal powder injected into a molten pool created by a focused, high-powered laser (LENS), a metal-deposition process developed at Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories, which is managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation), is a major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratory with two locations, one in Albuquerque, New of Albuquerque, N.M., is being investigated by tool designer Dynamic Engineering Inc. in Minneapolis as a means to improve corrosion resistance of precision molds. For this research, Dynamic partnered with Optomec, an Albuquerque firm that markets the LENS process. Results reportedly show that a LENS-deposited 420 stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. provided 30% reduction in the corrosion rate vs. conventional 420 stainless. This effect would improve the longevity longevity (lŏnjĕv`ĭtē), term denoting the length or duration of the life of an animal or plant, often used to indicate an unusually long life. of molds. Tel: (763) 780-4430, www.dynamicengr.com |
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