Abstract
The laser is the only tool that can address all six main manufacturing
groups of the German standard DIN 8580 simply by applying different processing
parameters. Given the present state of technology, however, different dedicated
machine concepts are still being used for the respective applications. To enable digitalmanufacturing
in its full consistency, novel, fully reconfigurable machines need
to be developed. We therefore outline the further developments that are required
to combine all presently known laser-based manufacturing processes on one and
the same machine. As both the laser devices and the knowledge about the fundamentals
of laser materials processing are already very advanced, research must
now be intensified on system engineering. The vision is an intelligent machine,
which is fed with CAD data, semi-finished products, or sub-components and that
is capable to autonomously produce the desired components with a 100% quality
guarantee at a batch size of 1 – “first time right” – and at the costs of comparable
mass-produced items. The machine independently selects the best production
strategy, i.e. the best combination and sequence of different manufacturing processes.
Such a fully flexible and autonomous laser machine will not only boost the
implementation of digitalmanufacturing on a broad scale and provide an approach
to resolve the “polylemma of production” but will also enable the relocalization
of value creation and manufacturing back into high-wage countries and by this
potentially disrupt today’s globalized value creating networks.
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