Laser material deposition (LMD) is a process in which a laser beam creates a melt pool on the surface of a substrate while a powder nozzle delivers a powdered additive into the melt pool, where the powder material then melts. A dense, metallurgically bonded layer forms once the melt solidifies. The velocity of powder particles in LMD is one of the key factors that influence the amount of particles' energy absorption (along their individual trajectories) through the laser beam on the way between the powder nozzle and the substrate. The amount of energy that is absorbed by the powder particles above the melt pool determines the temperature on the substrate surface, and hence influences the formation of the melt pool and the deposition of the powder material.
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