Adjustable-Focus Collimated 3D Printing Subsystem Passes Customer Validation — BCX Laser Achieves Another Breakthrough

October 2025 — Panda3dp.com Exclusive
BCX’s newly developed Adjustable-Focus Collimated Laser 3D Printing Subsystem has successfully passed verification by leading industry clients and officially entered mass-market supply.

This subsystem is purpose-built for 3D printing applications and features a proprietary fiber laser designed by BCX specifically for additive manufacturing. By integrating QBH and collimation into a single output design, it significantly simplifies the optical path, reduces optical interfaces, enhances output stability and reliability, and lowers overall system costs.

As a core laser provider in the additive manufacturing supply chain, BCX continues to strengthen domestic 3D printing system reliability and consistency, marking another step toward high-quality, localized innovation.

Industry Challenge: Complex Optical Paths Limit Quality and Efficiency

In conventional laser-based 3D printing systems, the laser beam must pass through multiple external optical components — such as collimating lenses and beam expanders — to achieve the required focus precision.

This approach makes optical alignment complex, leading to power loss, beam distortion, and uneven energy distribution, particularly in multi-beam configurations, where any misalignment can directly degrade surface quality and mechanical properties of printed parts.

“Traditional optical architectures demand repeated calibration, and even the slightest deviation can be magnified during printing,” said BCX’s R&D Director. “This increases both assembly costs for equipment manufacturers and consistency challenges for end users.”

BCX’s Solution: Integrated Collimation for Stable and Consistent Printing

The new Adjustable-Focus Collimated 3D Printing Subsystem integrates the QBH interface and collimation output within a single compact unit, eliminating the need for external beam expanders or collimators.

Key advantages include:

· Simplified Optical Design
Fewer optical components mean shorter assembly and calibration time, reduced maintenance, and lower system costs.

· Enhanced Stability
Integration minimizes mechanical joints and reflective surfaces, reducing cumulative optical loss and ensuring stable beam output throughout extended operation.

· Improved Printing Consistency
Collimated spot size uniformity is precisely controlled, eliminating variability caused by mismatched QBH or collimator specifications.

· Adjustable Focus
The subsystem allows flexible adjustment of the focal spot position, easing setup and alignment while lowering technical barriers for users.

(Illustration: fiber laser with integrated collimation head, removing external beam expander and collimator modules)

From Simplicity Comes Excellence — Lower Maintenance, Higher Reliability

The subsystem features a customized, industrial-grade sealed collimation head that is dustproof and vibration-resistant, ensuring higher reliability than conventional external optical assemblies.

Testing shows:

· Beam quality (M²) < 1.1

· Short-term power stability ±1%

Available in 300W–1000W configurations, the subsystem supports metal 3D printing applications across industries such as medical, automotive, and industrial tooling.

Applications include:

· SLS/SLM: Optimized metal powder melting for higher part density.

· LMD/DED: High beam stability for large-scale additive manufacturing.

For multi-laser systems, the simplified optical path design ensures consistent energy distribution across all beams — a critical advantage for high-precision metal deposition.

A leading metal 3D printer manufacturer commented:

“The integrated design has drastically shortened our optical calibration time and significantly improved print yield.”

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

By integrating the collimation and QBH interfaces, the subsystem not only eliminates the need for external optics procurement and maintenance but also reduces long-term operational and service costs for both equipment makers and end users.

Toward the Next Stage of Optical Integration

As 3D printing evolves toward higher precision and efficiency, optical integration will play an increasingly vital role in advancing performance and scalability.

BCX’s integrated-collimation laser subsystem not only addresses current industry bottlenecks but also offers manufacturers a plug-and-play solution that accelerates product deployment and market readiness.

“We believe this product will fundamentally optimize the optical architecture of modern 3D printing systems,” said BCX’s Additive Manufacturing Division Head. “Looking ahead, we will continue to introduce innovative optical solutions that drive the technological progress of additive manufacturing.”