Digital manufacturing leader Protolabs will soon 3D-print parts on the largest powder-bed metal additive system in the world—giving customers a powerful new way to get large-format metal parts. The GE Additive Concept Laser X Line 2000R machine will be added to Protolabs' production services in late summer 2020.

“Our customers, especially in the aerospace industry, have told us they need the ability to create larger parts with complex geometries,” said Vicki Holt, president and CEO at Protolabs. “Through our partnership with GE Additive, we are responding by scaling up use of its cutting-edge equipment to further support our customers' metal production needs.”

The DMLM (direct metal laser melting) machine achieves an extremely large build volume of 31.5in. x 15.7in. x 19.7in. (800mm x 400mm x 500mm). The ability to additively manufacture parts of this size means that entire assemblies can be designed and printed as a single piece.

Dual 1000W lasers allow for fast manufacturing of large parts and serialized production volumes. This large-format machine also contains two build modules, which reduce downtime by allowing one build to take place while another is being set-up. Although the machine can be used with a variety of metal powders, Protolabs has chosen Inconel 718 to be the initial focus material to better serve its rapidly expanding number of aerospace customers.

Along with the X Line 2000R, to further grow its DMLM production capacity, Protolabs has added four more GE Additive Concept Laser M2 printers, capable of manufacturing parts up to 9.8in. x 9.8in. x 13.8in. (250mm x 250mm x 350mm). This brings Protolabs' total DMLM machine count to more than 30 metal additive machines, all capable of producing AS9100-production parts.

“The pace of momentum at Protolabs continues to impress. I appreciate the continued investment and trust in our solutions—the X Line and M2 machines are very well-suited to exacting needs of the aerospace industry. I also value the close working relationship with Vicki and her team, which is built on similar beliefs and a shared vision for industrial scale additive manufacturing,” said Jason Oliver, vice president & CEO, GE Additive.

In its ongoing effort to enhance and expand its production capabilities in additive manufacturing, Protolabs has invested in new post-processing equipment. A Solukon powder removal system that thoroughly removes trapped powder from internal cavities and complex geometries. Also, a new Ipsen vacuum heat-treat furnace will enable more in-house heat treatment. This will improve the consistency of mechanical properties of manufactured parts.