Additive manufacturing in tool making
Conformal cooling and repair welding with laser cladding.
Read PDFDED-LB/M (Powder-fed)
Laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (Powder-fed)
DED process in which metal powder feedstock is blown via a nozzle directly into the laser-generated melt pool.
Operating Principle & Process Flow
Operating Principle: A laser creates a local melt pool on the part surface. Simultaneously, metal powder is delivered by carrier gas through a coaxial or lateral nozzle into the melt pool.
Process Flow: Head positioning → Laser ignition → Powder and gas feed → Path traversal → Layer-by-layer build-up.
Technical Specifications
- Energy Source: Laser (e.g. fibre laser, diode laser).
- Feedstock / Material Feed: Metal powder via carrier gas stream.
- Typical Part Size: Medium to very large (depending on kinematic system, e.g. robot or gantry).
- Build Rate: Medium to high (~0.1–2 kg/h).
- Accuracy: Medium (~±0.1–0.5 mm).
- Surface Quality: Medium; usually requires subtractive post-machining of functional faces.
Applications & Materials
Typical Materials: Steels, nickel superalloys, titanium, tungsten carbide (wear coatings), functionally graded materials (FGM).
Typical Applications: Tool and turbine repair, wear protection coatings, feature addition on semi-finished parts.
Industries: Tooling, oil & gas, aerospace, MRO.
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