Machine Combines Additive and Subtractive Processes for Quick Turn of Custom Parts

The Matsuura Lumex Series from Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. is a powder bed metal additive manufacturing (AM) platform with subtractive capability. The series’ Avance-25 metal laser sintering hybrid milling machine relies on one-machine, one-process manufacturing of complex molds and parts by fusing metal laser sintering (3D SLS) technology with high-speed milling (HSM) technology. The machine enables production of complicated parts through total manufacturing by digital engineering using 3D data.

The Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 predominantly serves the high-value, high-accuracy mold and die market. The Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 is capable of achieving high accuracy in part fabrication because the metal powders are melted and sintered with a laser, while the surfaces are precisely milled at high speeds. Matsuura says that moldmakers can incorporate 3D cooling channels into molds in the single setup, thereby increasing cooling efficiency and enabling high-cycle injection molding with improved quality and precision.

The company says that the Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 is capable of producing differentiated, original parts with internal structures and that the machine is capable of quick-turn production of custom parts, whether prototypes or small, production-run parts. The Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 is capable of processing parts up to 256 mm x 256 mm x 185 mm with an option of processing 256 mm × 256 mm × 300 mm.