MXI Equipment

Explore the specialised equipment in use at MXI Lab.

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Blown Additive Manufacturing Process Replicator (BAMPR) w/ GTV Powder Feeder
Quad - In-Situ and Operando Process Replicator (Quad-ISOPR)
IPG-UCL In situ welding Rig
Mechanical Testing
- Manual Tensile/Compression Rig
- P2R In-Situ Micromechanics Test Rig
Furnace and Cold Stages
Camera and Illumination

Blown Additive Manufacturing Process Replicator (BAMPR) w/ GTV Powder Feeder

BAMPR-2 Unique Directed Energy Deposition Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing Machine that works on a synchrotron beamline, enabling concurrent X-ray, optical, and IR imaging of the laser-matter interaction, including the weld pool, solidification, etc.

Features:

500W laser fitted with beam delivery optics that provide spot size 100 um – 700 um
Controlled atmosphere
Controlled powder delivery of wide range of materials: SS, Al, Ti and Ni alloys
High precision 3+1 Axis Translation Stage/ 6 DOF articulated robot arm
Test effect of external fields on additive manufacturing process
Used in on site laboratory or at national and international synchrotrons (e.g. DLS & ESRF)
Enhanced in situ process monitoring: High speed optical camera and high-speed IR camera

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Quad - In-Situ and Operando Process Replicator (Quad-ISOPR)

Diagram sketch of the Quad-ISOPR next to a series of scan and measurement images produced by the equipment

“Quad laser - In situ and Operando Process Replicator” is a co-developed physical twin that mimics the Renishaw Ren500QAM machine that works in the lab and on synchrotron beamlines, enabling concurrent X-ray, chemical, optical, and IR imaging of the laser-matter interaction, including the weld pool, solidification, etc.

Features:

4x 500W lasers (1070 nm) with Renishaw RenAM 500Q optical module
Controlled atmosphere with variable gas flow.
Automated powder hopper
Two types of build platforms for lab and synchrotron experiments.
Can process different classes of materials, including ceramics, metals/alloys, polymer, glass, and composites.
Use on-site laboratory or at DLS, ESRF, and other synchrotron radiation facilities.
Coaxial optical image with Photron S12 Nova (up to 1MHz with a reduced field of view)
Coaxial Photodiodes setup using Renishaw’s AMPM module
Off-axis IR imaging.

Details of our standard setup can be found in this article.

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IPG-UCL In situ welding rig

IPG-UCL In situ welding rig includes a laser enclosure for labs and synchrotron facilities use, enabling direct observations of weld pool morphology, penetration depth, and spatter behaviour to optimise weld quality. Our goal is to use this rig to transform the calibration and use of laser and sensing technologies, facilitating flaw detection and closed-loop process control. This advancement will enable the fabrication of defect-free products for electric vehicles and advanced propulsion systems, revolutionising manufacturing standards. Ultimately, it will be used to underpin net-zero objectives by reducing manufacturing waste. Ensuring high-quality, reliable laser-processed products with minimal waste or rework.

Features:

Core/Ring mode 8 kW laser (IPG YLS-3000-5000-SM-AMB)
Core/Ring mode 8 kW laser (IPG YLS-4000-4000-AMB-CT)
This includes 2 sets of optical systems, air knives, LDD-700, auxiliary items, and an external laser chiller.
Wide range of materials, Cu, Al, SS, and Ni alloys, capable of joining dissimilar metals
Use in an on-site laboratory or synchrotron radiation facilities worldwide.

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Mechanical Testing

Manual Tensile/Compression Rig

Features:

Loads up to 500 N
For TXM, commissioned on I12 beamline.
For laboratory or synchrotron use, transportable.

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P2R In-Situ Micromechanics Test Rig

Features:

Unique tension/compression/torsion rig.
Fully integrated with EPICS
-80 to 1600 °C with external sample environment.
Load cell up to 750 N.
Continuous air bearing rotation for 0.2 µm accuracy in motion.
On site laboratory or at DLS, SLS, ESRF synchrotrons.
Grips/rams for tension/compression, extrusion, crack growth, shear, 3-point bending.
Special environments for (a) simulate aero-engine component manufacture; (b) magma flows; (c) knee joint mechanics; and (d) bioreactors.

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Furnaces and Cold Stages

Laura Furnace

Features:

up to 900°C, 20x20x20 mm3 sample volume.
Inert gas flow.
For laboratory or synchrotron use, transportable.

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Alice Furnace

Features:

up to 1550°C, 10x10x10 mm3 sample volume, fast heating rate
For laboratory or synchrotron use, transportable.

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Cold Stage

Features:

Enclosure temperature down to -40°C achievable. Peltier cooled.
Highly stable, programmable temperature ramping.
For biological & food samples.
For laboratory or synchrotron use, transportable.

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Camera and Illumination

FLIR X6900sc IR Camera

Features:

Resolution: 640x512 (pixels), Detector Pitch: 25 um; Spectral Range (wavelength): 1.5-5.0μm; Temperature Range: 250 – 2500°C
Operated with (a) 50 mm Macro lens at a working distance of 100 mm, ~35 um/pixel spatial resolution, 3 – 5 um Spectral band; or (b) 50 mm lens at a working distance of 500 mm, 270 um/pixel spatial resolution, 1 – 5 um spectral band.

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Photron FASTCAM NOVA S12 Camera

Features:

Full Frame performance: 12.9K fps at 1024 x 1024 pixels. Maximum Frame Rate: 1Million fps at 128 x 16 pixels.
Quantum efficiency: 46% at 630nm; 51% at 675 nm.
Sensor Size / Diagonal: 20.48 x 20.48mm / 28.96mm, Pixel Size: 20μm x 20μm
Global electronic shutter: 1 ms – 200 ns (independent of frame rate)

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