A laser with a high quality, single mode Gaussian output beam is often required in laser additive manufacturing (powder-bed based) as it creates the smallest spot possible, allowing very fine features to be made. However, the Gaussian profile is not the ideal profile for the process of laser sintering the fine powder of the additive manufacturing (AM) machine. When a Gaussian profile spot is scanned across the powder-bed, the deposited energy (with determines the temperature profile) has a Gaussian profile perpendicular to the scan direction.

The optimum AM process is likely to require a near uniform heat input to the powder-bed when the processing spot is scanned. This requires a complex laser intensity spot profile – but one which the Deposited Energy Flat Top: DEFT – is able to produce.

The DEFT beam shaper has the potential to increase the AM throughput and optimise energy distribution: the laser profile is a closer match to the fundamentals of the AM process.