How Copper, Diamonds, & Beam Shaping are Revolutionizing 3D Printing

May 15, 2025 | Reading time: 5 min

 

In a compelling episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld engaged in a rich discussion with three key figures from the University of Wolverhampton, UK: Professor Arun Arjunan, AM Commercialization Manager John Robinson, and Knowledge Exchange Associate Manpreet Singh.

This conversation illuminated the university's impressive 25-year additive manufacturing (AM) journey, showcasing its pioneering research, significant industrial collaborations, and commitment to workforce development.

A Legacy of Innovation: 25 Years in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The University of Wolverhampton stands as one of the earliest academic institutions to embrace laser powder bed fusion, beginning its work in 1999. Professor Arun Arjunan detailed the university's extensive history, primarily focused on metals, and its developed expertise in creating process parameters for challenging materials. Its early achievements include pioneering work in printing titanium for aerospace and motorsport applications.

John Robinson, whose own journey with the university began as an undergraduate in 2009, shared his hands-on experience with a range of EOS machines, from the early EOS M 250 to the EOS M 290 and the recent AMCM NLight system.

He highlighted the university's role in being one of the first to process titanium, requiring special adaptations for the EOS M 270 machine. Robinson's career path, which included stints in industry at Jaguar Land Rover and Cookson Gold (developing laser parameters for precious metals), eventually led him back to Wolverhampton with a focus on developing parameters for copper and silver, materials known for their challenging reflectiveness with infrared lasers.

Telford Campus, Engineering

Pushing Boundaries: From Copper to Copper-Diamond Composites

A significant thread throughout the discussion was the university's groundbreaking work with highly conductive materials, particularly copper.

John Robinson's thesis work on copper-silver alloys enabled the printing of copper using less than 400 watts for the first time. This expertise proved invaluable in a knowledge transfer partnership with AceOn, a battery manufacturer. The university team developed additively manufactured copper heat sinks featuring Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS). These optimized heat sinks significantly improved thermal management for battery packs, especially in high ambient temperature environments.

The conversation then shifted to an even more novel material: a copper-diamond composite. John Robinson explained that this development, currently patent-pending, originated from a collaboration with Diamond Hard Surfaces, a company specializing in diamond coating processes.

Diamond, being half the density of copper but four times more thermally conductive, offers immense potential for lightweight, high-performance thermal management solutions in applications like electric vehicles. Crucially, diamond is electrically inert, meaning that by controlling the copper-to-diamond ratio, both thermal and electrical properties can be tailored for specific applications, such as insulators for electronic devices that still require efficient heat dissipation.

Remarkably, Robinson suggested that this composite material is not as expensive as atomized copper, offering improved thermal conductivity and interesting electrical properties at a potentially lower cost and weight. Professor Arjunan emphasized that such materials are not just alternatives but solutions to fundamental barriers in technology development, enabling smaller, lighter, and more powerful electronic devices.

The Center of Excellence: Shaping the Future of AM

The recently launched Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing at the University of Wolverhampton is poised to tackle key limitations in current AM technology. Its primary technological focus will be on "shape laser powder bed fusion" (SLPBF), utilizing innovative NLight lasers that can vary the beam profile from a single spot to a ring shape.

This is analogous to using a small brush for corners and a roller for large areas when painting, allowing for fine detail where needed and significantly increased build speeds (potentially a 200% increase in spot diameter) for larger sections. The Center aims to expand its established methodology for developing process parameters, incorporating productivity and cost as key variables alongside quality and density.

Materially, the Center will concentrate on highly conductive materials, leveraging their success with low-wattage copper printing. A second pillar will be multi-material printing, combining conductive metals with insulators, with copper-diamond being a prime example. The third pillar focuses on thermoelectric materials. If these materials can be additively manufactured, exploiting design freedom, they could become viable for energy scavenging or advanced heat exchangers, impacting next-generation computing, defense, and electric vehicles by enabling smaller, more power-dense electric motors where heat dissipation is the limiting factor.

Industrial Impact and Workforce Development

Manpreet Singh emphasized the university's commitment to commercializing its research and providing industry access to AM systems. It actively pursues knowledge exchange partnerships and collaborations with local and national industries across sectors like automotive, battery manufacturing, and healthcare (e.g., patient-specific implants in cobalt-chromium with TPMS structures).

Recognizing the skills gap in AM, the university offers academic courses and Continuing Progress Development courses. These programs, developed in partnership with entities like EOS Additive Minds, cater to various skill levels, from beginners with no AM background to those seeking hands-on training on advanced systems like EOS M 290 machines.

This initiative aims to upskill the workforce, giving industries the confidence to adopt AM. John Robinson added that AM is heavily integrated into other degree courses, with discussions underway for an AM-specific Master's course. PhD research is also closely tied to these advanced projects, including students working on the copper-diamond material and planned PhDs for shape laser development of tantalum and molybdenum.

The Broader Vision: AM for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

The discussion also touched upon AM's role in sustainability, light-weighting, and the potential for redistributed manufacturing. Professor Arjunan highlighted how AM can create metamaterials with targeted performance at the micro/sub-micron scale, crucial for next-generation healthcare devices like patient-specific implants that mimic natural bone performance. He also envisioned AM as a technology capable of creating targeted materials where properties are informed by laser-material interactions rather than just geometry, potentially revolutionizing heat exchangers and electronic components.

Looking ahead, the team sees AM as critical for reshoring and distributed manufacturing, allowing design and material development to happen globally while manufacturing occurs close to consumption.

The University of Wolverhampton's comprehensive approach — from fundamental material science and process development to industrial application, workforce education, and influencing policy through its involvement with British Standards and the AMTA AM panel — positions it as a vital force in advancing the AM landscape, not just in the UK, but globally.

Telford Campus, Engineering

Connect and Learn More:

For those interested in learning more about the University of Wolverhampton's work or connecting with the team:

Listen to the full Additive Snack Podcast episode.