Repair and restoration of engineering components by laser directed energy deposition

Repair is a process of restoring the functionality of a damaged component to its original functional state to extend the lifespan of the component. For high-value engineering components, it is often more cost-effective to repair the damaged parts than replace them with new ones. This paper focuses on the utilization of laser directed energy deposition (DED) for repair application. DED is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies whereby build layers are formed through feeding material into the melt pool that is generated on a substrate by a focused thermal energy source. Different types of DED configurations in the market are compared and a selection matrix for the repair application has been established. The repair process framework of a laser DED system for achieving an integrated intelligent system is also proposed. Successful circular shape cladding was demonstrated.Nanyang Technological UniversityThe authors would like to thank School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University for the research support and financial support from LUX Photonics Consortium and Precision Laser Solutions Pte. Ltd. through grants #020408-00002 and #020408-00003