Practicla considerations and capabilities for laser assisted direct metal deposition

摘要

Laser assisted direct metal deposition refers to the additive layered manufacturing t ethnology for building ocmpounents from a computer-aided design (CAD) model. A motion control program, developed from the CAD model of a desired metal component, is used to control the motion of a laser focal spot to trace all areas of the part, typically a planar layer at a time. Metal powders, injected into the laser focal zone, are melted and then re-solidify into fully dense metal in the wake of the moving molten pool created by the laser beam. Successive layers are then stacked to produce the entire component volume of fused metal representing the desired CAD model. Development of this technology has been pursued at both Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories and has resulted in the Directed Light Fabrication (DLF) and Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS~TM) processes. These processes have been proven feasible for fabricating components from nearly any metal system to near-net shape accuracy with mechanical properties approaching and in some case exceeding the properties found in conventionally processed wrought with mechanical properties approaching and in some cases exceeding the properties found in conventionally processed wrought structures.