FAQ

Wire-laser metal deposition is a metal additive manufacturing process that melts metal wire with lasers and deposits it layer by layer to build or repair a part. It belongs to the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) family of processes and is also called wire-laser DED.

In Meltio systems the wire is fed through the center of the deposition head, and several lasers are arranged symmetrically around it. The wire therefore enters the melt pool coaxially. Meltio holds a patent on this multi-laser deposition head. How the technology works

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Directed Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing process that builds or repairs metal parts by depositing material and melting it at the same time with a focused energy source, such as a laser. The energy is applied exactly where the material is added.

DED processes differ in the energy source (laser, electric arc or electron beam) and the feedstock (wire or powder). Meltio uses lasers and wire.

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Both processes melt welding wire, but they use different energy sources. In wire-laser DED the laser energy is independent of the wire feed, so the process can be controlled more precisely. In WAAM the arc forms between the wire and the part, which makes the process harder to control, and it generally puts more heat into the part, with a larger heat-affected zone and more spatter.

A well-controlled laser process gives higher resolution than WAAM, but WAAM deposits material faster. As a rule of thumb, Meltio recommends wire-laser DED for parts that are too large for powder bed fusion and too precise for WAAM. Check if your part is a good fit

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Meltio uses only wire. Wire removes the handling risks of fine metal powder, such as airborne particles and hazardous dust, and standard welding wire is widely available. Meltio no longer offers powder feedstock in its product range.

Powder bed fusion (PBF) is well suited to small, highly detailed parts. Meltio positions wire-laser DED for medium to large parts, roughly from 100 mm to over 1 m, where PBF becomes too slow or too expensive, and for adding material to existing parts.

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The blue laser head uses nine 450 nm direct diode lasers with 1,000 W of total power. Metals absorb this wavelength better than infrared, which raises the deposition rate for similar energy use and widens the range of printable materials. Aluminum and copper absorb blue light more than 10 times better than near-infrared light in the 950 to 1,100 nm range.

The infrared (IR) head uses six 976 nm lasers with 1,200 W of total power. It processes stainless, carbon and tool steels, nickel alloys and titanium, and it is well suited to repair on multi-axis systems thanks to its angle of attack and low-cost wear parts.

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Meltio systems are Class 1 laser products. The process runs in an enclosed, controlled environment that prevents exposure to laser light, high temperatures and moving parts. Because the feedstock is wire and not powder, there is no risk of airborne metal particles, and wire deposition produces fewer fumes and contaminants.

The M600 includes a three-stage particulate and chemical filtration system. The Robot Cell enclosure is laser-safe according to IEC 60825-1 and IEC 60825-4 and carries CE certification.

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Yes. Because the lasers surround the wire and the wire enters the melt pool coaxially, the deposition behaves the same in every direction of travel. Meltio can print in any orientation, which is important for multi-axis robot and CNC work.

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The heat-affected zone reaches about one previous layer. The laser concentrates heat in a small area, so less heat reaches the layers below and the surrounding material than in arc-based processes.

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Yes. Meltio systems can print with one, two or up to four different wires in sequence. Dual wire lets you combine, for example, a strong core with a wear-resistant surface. Quad wire lets you sequence up to four materials with automatic wire switches.

The M600 offers dual wire and quad wire as options. The Meltio Engine kits are available in single or dual wire configurations.

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It depends on the size of your parts and the equipment you already have:

• Meltio M600: a standalone industrial printer with a 300 × 400 × 600 mm inert build chamber, for series production of parts that fit its build volume.
• Meltio Robot Cell: a turnkey, 8-axis robotic cell for large parts, repair and feature addition.
• Meltio Engine for CNC: a kit that adds metal printing to a CNC machine, so you can print and machine in the same setup.
• Meltio Engine for industrial robots: a kit to turn an existing robot arm into a metal printing system.
• Powered by Meltio: complete solutions built and validated by Meltio's certified integration partners.

Compare the systems or talk to an expert.

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• Meltio M600: 300 × 400 × 600 mm (W × D × H).
• Meltio Robot Cell: Ø1,000 × 1,200 mm with positioner interpolation, or 2,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm without positioner movement (custom build platform not included). Maximum load is 500 kg as standard.
• Meltio Engine kits: the envelope depends on the reach of the robot or the travel of the CNC machine.

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Yes. The Meltio Engine for CNC integration kit adds a wire-laser deposition head to a machining center, turning it into a hybrid additive and subtractive system. You can print near-net-shape material and machine it in the same setup, repair parts or add features.

Meltio's partner Phillips Corporation offers the Phillips Additive Hybrid, which integrates the Meltio Engine into Haas VF, UMC and TM series machines. Integration requirements depend on the machine, so check them with Meltio or a partner before you buy. Meltio Engine for CNC

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Yes. The Meltio Engine for industrial robots integrates with robot arms from any manufacturer. Meltio Space, the robot slicer, includes post-processors for ABB, KUKA, FANUC and Yaskawa.

Before integration, the robot and any positioner must be installed, configured and calibrated. You also need a laser-safe cell (Meltio recommends at least 3 × 3 × 3 m for a robot with 2 m reach), a network with static IP addresses and digital I/O. The Engine communicates with the robot via OPC DA or Socket TCP/IP. Meltio Engine for industrial robots

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It is not recommended. The deposition head weighs about 20 kg, and Meltio suggests a robot payload of 45 to 50 kg to give the system enough rigidity. A cobot that can carry the load but is not rigid enough can give poor results, so an industrial robot is the better choice.

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The Meltio Robot Cell is a turnkey robotic metal 3D printing cell. It arrives integrated and tested on a steel platform, with the robot, positioner, Meltio Engine, chillers, wire feeders and gas supply area anchored to it. It needs a single three-phase power connection and an inert gas supply to start printing.

It is a CE-certified Class 1 laser product with 8 axes of motion, and it includes a one-year Meltio Space subscription and on-site training. Meltio Robot Cell

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Powered by Meltio solutions are systems built by Meltio's certified integration partners around Meltio technology and already validated for a sector or region. Examples include the Phillips Additive Hybrid for Haas CNC machines. Powered by Meltio

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Yes. The Meltio M600 was named Enterprise 3D Printer of the Year (Metals) at the 3D Printing Industry Awards 2024.

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The price depends on the system and its configuration, for example the laser type, single, dual or quad wire, hot wire and accessories, and on your region. Meltio and its local partners prepare a tailored quote for each project.

Request a quote and tell us about your parts and materials so we can recommend the right configuration.

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The main running costs are wire, inert gas, energy, consumables and software. Meltio systems use standard welding wire, which is widely available. The M600 draws 4 to 6 kW on average, with a 10.6 kW peak.

Meltio offers deposition head refurbishment with a cost based on the hours the machine has been used. Meltio Space for robots is sold as an annual subscription, and the first year is included with the Meltio Engine for robots and the Robot Cell.

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You can buy directly from Meltio or through its network of sales and integration partners in Europe, the Americas, Asia and other regions. When you request a quote, we route your enquiry to the right partner for your country. Find a partner

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Yes. We can connect you with a service bureau that produces parts with Meltio technology. Choose "Request connection with a Service Bureau for part manufacturing" in the contact form.

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The Meltio Robot Cell includes on-site training so your team can start developing applications quickly. Meltio also runs webinars on applications, design guidelines and hybrid manufacturing, and provides learning resources through Meltio Academy.

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Customers can get technical support through the Meltio Customer Portal. If you do not have access yet, request access to the portal. You can also contact your local Meltio partner.

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The Meltio Materials portfolio includes Stainless Steel 316L, 308L and 17-4PH, Mild Steel ER70S, Nickel 718 and 625, Tool Steel H11, Titanium 64, Invar, Marine Bronze ERCuNiAl, CuCrZr and Aluminum 4046.

Meltio has also printed many other alloys with its IR and blue laser systems, including martensitic stainless steels 410 and 420, austenitic 307 and 309, Nitronic 50, Super Duplex and Hastelloy X. See all materials and datasheets

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Yes. Meltio works with an open material approach: you can use commodity welding wire from third parties or qualified Meltio Wire Materials. Meltio Materials come with tested print profiles, which gives you the most predictable results.

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Meltio systems accept wire from 0.8 to 1.2 mm in diameter. All Meltio Materials are supplied in 1.0 mm wire. The M600 takes BS300 spools or an external wire drum.

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Yes. Meltio Titanium 64 (Ti-6Al-4V) is part of the standard portfolio, and the M600 has a fully inert print chamber for reactive materials such as titanium. Published projects include 35% lighter titanium uprights for Formula Student, 500 mm Ti-6Al-4V rocket rings printed by ASRI and AMT3D, and titanium components for ExxonMobil. Titanium 64 datasheet

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Yes, with the blue laser, which these metals absorb much better than infrared. Marine bronze (ERCuNiAl) prints fully, at speeds comparable to stainless steel. CuCrZr is printable for thin-walled, high-aspect-ratio parts such as heat exchangers.

Aluminum alloys have produced fully dense parts, but surface finish and small features are still being developed. Contact us to discuss your specific alloy.

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Tungsten carbide cladding has been tested but is not a released material yet. Contact us if you want to see the results.

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Each Meltio Material has a datasheet with yield strength, tensile strength and elongation, plus CT scans and micrographs of printed samples. Download the datasheets.

For critical applications, Meltio recommends printing the actual part and extracting test coupons from it, instead of printing coupons separately, because small coupons can behave differently from a full-size part. How Meltio tests mechanical properties

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Meltio offers two types of print profiles. Density Verified Profiles produce fully dense parts with no defects detectable by CT scanning; metallography typically shows densities above 99.99%. They print more slowly. Utility Printing Profiles print faster and can show minor defects with minimal effect on the part.

Use Density Verified Profiles when your application standard requires high densification or for material characterization.

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Every material goes through a process qualification. Meltio tests many parameter sets, sends samples to computed tomography, and only takes forward the parameters that show no porosity for mechanical testing and qualification.

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It depends on the material, the geometry and the application. Non-critical stainless steel parts can generally be used as printed. A large tool steel part may need annealing before it is removed from the build plate to avoid cracking.

Some materials need heat treatment to reach their best properties: H11 tool steel comes out of the printer hardened and needs heat treatment and tempering, and 17-4PH needs solution annealing and age hardening. Each material datasheet gives the recommended treatment.

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Meltio prints near-net-shape parts, so surfaces that need tight tolerances or a fine finish are machined afterwards. Because the part is printed close to its final shape, only a small stock allowance is left. In one open impeller project, the blades needed a 1.5 mm finishing pass.

With the Meltio Engine for CNC you can print and machine in the same setup.

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Wire-laser DED works best for medium to large parts, from about 100 mm to over 1 m, with moderate complexity and a minimum wall thickness above 2.0 mm. Geometries that would traditionally be cast or forged are good candidates.

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On the M600 you can print parts with more than 100 kg of deposited material. The recommended maximum for part plus build plate is 150 kg. The Robot Cell positioner takes up to 500 kg as standard. With a Meltio Engine kit, the limit depends on the host robot or machine.

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Yes. Meltio systems rebuild worn areas, apply wear-resistant cladding and add new features to existing parts, so you can extend the life of a component instead of replacing it.

Published examples include the repair of an obsolete centrifugal pump that saved 70% of the cost and cut lead time from two months to one week, and hardfacing of trencher blades with dilution below 10%. Meltio for repair

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Not always. If the wear is small, up to about 1 mm, you can usually print with the original file and the process control fills the gap. For more damaged areas you need to know the actual surface you are printing on, for example from a 3D scan or by machining the area to a known geometry and reflecting it in the CAD.

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Dilution is low because the heat-affected zone is small. In the materials Meltio has tested, dilution becomes negligible beyond about 600 microns into the substrate, and it can be increased or reduced with the process parameters. In a trencher blade hardfacing project, dilution stayed below 10%.

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Hybrid manufacturing combines additive and subtractive processes in one machine. With a Meltio Engine on a CNC machine, you print material only where you need it and then machine the part to final tolerance without moving it to another machine. This avoids machining large amounts of material from a solid billet. Meltio Engine for CNC

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Yes. You can build new geometry on bars, rods, shafts or flanges instead of machining it from a larger block. Meltio Space includes dedicated strategies for this, recommended for parts such as propellers, camshafts, screw compressors, mixers and curved pipes printed directly onto flanges.

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• Meltio Horizon: the slicer for the M600.
• Meltio Space: the toolpath generator for the Meltio Engine on robots and the Robot Cell.
• Hybrid CNC work: CAM software from Meltio's software partners covers both additive and subtractive toolpaths.

Meltio software

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Meltio Horizon works with STL files, which almost any CAD software can export. Horizon generates the G-code that the M600 prints.

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Yes. Start from Meltio's default profiles and adjust them for your material and geometry through a series of tests. Once a part is fully tuned, you save the settings and reuse them.

Horizon also saves Workspaces: files that combine the STL model with its print parameters, so you can iterate on the same part or reuse its settings for new ones.

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Meltio Space includes predefined post-processors for ABB (IO, OPC and Socket), KUKA (IO), FANUC (IO) and Yaskawa (IO). It also offers kinematics simulation, collision checking, two-axis positioner interpolation and planar, non-planar and variable deposition toolpaths. Meltio Space

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Meltio Space is sold as an annual subscription. The first year is included when you buy a Meltio Engine for robots or a Meltio Robot Cell.

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Not at the moment. The deposition head controls the energy delivered to the wire, which keeps heat-related distortion low in most parts.

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Meltio systems use closed-loop process control. The system monitors electrical continuity between the wire and the part to make sure the material goes where it should, and a load cell in the deposition head keeps the process within a defined range. The Engine Blue adds a melt pool camera, and the M600 includes sensors and live monitoring.

This process data can feed your quality assurance system. On robotic setups you can add external tools such as thermography.

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The M600 measures 1,050 × 1,050 × 1,950 mm and weighs 800 to 1,000 kg depending on options. It needs a three-phase 400 V supply and consumes 4 to 6 kW on average, with a 10.6 kW peak. A water chiller and three-stage filtration are included, and it connects via USB and Ethernet. M600 specifications

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The Robot Cell measures 4,050 × 2,350 × 3,000 mm and is moved with a standard forklift. It needs a single three-phase connection (400 V, 50 Hz as standard, with 440 V 60 Hz and 230 V 60 Hz on request). Peak consumption is 20 kW, with about 7 kW on average.

For inert gas you can connect three 50 L argon bottles, use the optional Meltio gas regulator or supply gas yourself. The cell connects to your local network and must be installed indoors, protected from sun and dust.

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Yes. The M600 is designed as a production machine that can run unattended for long periods. Meltio has printed parts with print times of over two weeks without an operator.

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A build plate exchange with basic cleaning and maintenance takes about 15 minutes. With the zero-point clamping system, the M600 can be turned around in less than a minute, plus about 15 minutes of daily maintenance. The same clamping also saves setup time in post-processing such as CNC or EDM.

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Automated wire changes during a print take about 20 seconds, using the built-in wire cutter. Loading a new spool or connecting an external wire drum takes about 5 minutes of operator time. An External Wire Drum Kit connects bulk wire drums to the M600.

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The median lifetime of the blue laser deposition head is 20,000 hours at full power, where lifetime means the point at which the lasers produce 80% of their nominal output. At the end of its life, the head can be replaced with a refurbished unit, with a cost based on the machine's hours of use.

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Yes. The M600 has absolute encoders on all axes, so it saves the last position. When you resume, the printer returns to those coordinates and continues, even if the door was opened or the bed was moved.

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Typical wear parts are wire nozzles and optics. The M600 is designed for frequent use with longer-lasting, lower-cost consumables, factory-aligned lasers and minimal operator touchpoints. The IR head uses low-cost, easily replaceable wear parts.

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Your part is likely a good fit if it meets several of these criteria:

• Medium to large size, roughly from 100 mm to over 1 m.
• It needs material added to an existing part: flanges, features on shafts or repairs.
• It is made from an expensive or hard-to-machine metal, such as titanium, Inconel or tool steel, where machining from billet wastes a lot of material.
• Moderate complexity, typical of cast or forged parts, with walls thicker than 2.0 mm.

Request an application assessment

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Meltio systems are used in defense, aerospace, automotive and motorsport, oil and gas, mining and heavy industry, naval and marine energy, tooling and molds, and education and research. Browse the use cases

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Yes. Meltio systems do not need vacuum chambers or complex infrastructure, so they can be installed in forward operating bases, naval vessels and mobile maintenance units. Partners have built containerized hybrid systems, and Meltio technology has been used on board a U.S. Navy ship to produce metal parts. Meltio for defense

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Yes. Meltio Space includes a 3-axis strategy for molds with internal conformal cooling channels. In one published project, an automotive manufacturer used Meltio technology to create conformal cooling channels in injection mold inserts and reduced mold temperatures by 20 °C.

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The use cases section describes real projects with materials, systems and results. You can also download the applications catalog, which lists parts with their size, material, weight and print time.

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