BCX Focus-Adjustable Collimated Laser 3D Printing Subsystem with Simplified Optical Components and Reduced Optical Interfaces

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October 20, 2025 Hardware 142

BCX addresses key industry challenges in laser 3D printing by introducing an integrated collimation solution that simplifies optical structures, enhances stability, and reduces costs.

The BCX focus-adjustable collimated laser 3D printing subsystem series has officially passed validation by leading customers and is now available for mass market supply. Specifically designed for the 3D printing industry, the core light source of this product series is a fiber laser developed by BCX for dedicated use in 3D printing. It adopts an integrated QBH and collimated output design, aiming to simplify optical components and reduce optical interfaces in 3D printing equipment. This enhancement improves output stability and reliability while reducing overall costs.

As a leading supplier of core light sources for 3D printing, BCX has taken another solid step toward enhancing the stability and consistency of domestic 3D printing, leveraging its robust vertical integration capabilities across the upstream and downstream industrial chain as well as its strong R&D expertise.

Industry Challenge: Complex Optical Structures Constrain Printing Quality and Efficiency

In conventional laser 3D printing equipment, the laser beam output typically requires adjustments through external optical components such as collimating lenses and beam expanders to meet the focusing accuracy required for printing. This integration approach makes optical path debugging considerably cumbersome. Moreover, it can lead to power loss, degradation in beam quality, ellipticity, and energy distribution. These issues become particularly critical in multi-laser systems, directly impacting the surface quality and mechanical properties of printed parts.

(Conventional 3D printing optical path diagram: laser beam passes through collimator, beam expander, galvanometer, and F-theta lens before focusing on the working plane)

"Traditional solutions often require multiple calibrations, where any minor deviation can be amplified during the printing process," stated the R&D Director of BCX. "This not only increases assembly costs for equipment manufacturers but also poses challenges to the consistency required by end-users."

BCX Solution: Integrated Collimated Output for Enhanced Stability and Consistency
BCX's launched focus-adjustable collimated laser 3D printing subsystem adopts an integrated QBH and collimated output design, directly eliminating the need for external beam expansion and collimation modules in integrated equipment.

Its core advantages include:

Simplified Optical Design
Reduces the number of optical components, significantly shortening assembly and debugging cycles for manufacturers while lowering operational costs.

Improved Printing Stability
The integrated QBH and collimator output reduces mechanical interfaces and lenses, minimizing energy loss and beam quality degradation caused by repeated optical paths, thereby enhancing printing stability.

Enhanced Printing Consistency
Ensures controllable consistency in collimated spot size, mitigating issues of spot size inconsistency and ellipticity degradation caused by factors like QBH and collimator selection or specification mismatches.

Adjustable Focal Point
By utilizing the laser 3D printing subsystem with integrated collimated output, users can flexibly adjust the focal spot position, reducing debugging complexity and lowering the technical threshold for customers.

Excellence Through Simplicity: Lower Comprehensive Maintenance Costs

This product series incorporates customized collimated output heads with industrial-grade sealed design, offering dust and shock resistance. The overall reliability significantly surpasses that of externally integrated optical path combinations. Tests verify that the 3D printing subsystem with integrated collimated output achieves a beam quality of M² < 1.1 and short-term power stability within ±1%.

The series offers power options ranging from 300W to 1000W, supporting metal printing applications in industries such as medical, automotive, and industrial molds. It is widely applicable in:

SLS/SLM: Optimizes metal powder melting效果 and enhances part density.

LMD/DED: Suitable for large-scale metal additive manufacturing with higher beam stability.

For multi-laser 3D printing equipment, the simplified optical structure of this 3D printing subsystem ensures greater consistency across multiple optical paths, which is particularly critical in high-precision metal powder deposition applications.

A metal 3D printing equipment manufacturer reported after implementation: "The integrated design substantially reduced our optical path debugging time and significantly improved the printing success rate."

Meanwhile, for both equipment manufacturers and end-users, the 3D printing subsystem with integrated collimated output not only reduces the procurement and replacement costs of external optical components but also directly lowers comprehensive maintenance expenses.

As 3D printing technology advances toward higher precision and efficiency, the integration of optical systems will drive industry development. BCX's laser 3D printing subsystem with collimated output not only addresses existing pain points but also provides equipment manufacturers with a "plug-and-play" solution, helping them seize market opportunities.

"We believe this product will significantly optimize the current optical system architecture of 3D printing equipment," stated BCX's Head of Additive Manufacturing Business. "Moving forward, we will continue to introduce more innovative optical solutions to advance additive manufacturing technologies."