Direct Energy Deposition and Hybrid Manufacturing

Laser-based Direct Energy Deposition (DED) is an established technology for coating and repairing metal parts in industrial applications.The filler material, usually metallic, is fed as a powder or wire using appropriate conveyors and nozzles and is continuously melted and placed directly on the material surface, where it is welded to the substrate. Using a process head movement, the resulting weld beads can be combined to form not only surfaces, but also dense, multi-layer 3D components.Depending on the energy source used and the movement system, the technology is scalable within wide limits and versatile in terms of materials and can even be used to produce multi-material components. The use of widely available commercial system technology and the very good accessibility of the technology facilitate component handling and quality assurance and therefore line integration into existing production chains.

Compared to conventional processes, the main characteristics of laser powder deposition are as follows:

• Low heat input and distortion
• High precision of material deposition
• Very good reproducibility
• Wide range of combinable base and filler materials
• No need for support structures

This technology works well for components with simple geometries and is mainly used in mold and tool making, automotive engineering, the aerospace industry and energy production. For components with filigree structures and free-formed surfaces (rocket engines, heat exchangers, etc.), laser powder bed processes can be applied.

Modern production processes more and more use a combination of classic (abrasive) methods, such as milling and eroding, in conjunction with Additive Manufacturing techniques such as laser powder deposition to achieve high productivity at optimal costs. For example, when manufacturing paddle wheels, the inner part for holding the drive unit can be classically eroded and milled from stainless steel. Afterwards, laser powder deposition is used for welding on the blades with complex, streamlined geometry

• Laser powder deposition with wire and powder
• Hybrid processes (laser cladding and milling in combination)
• Development of manufacturing processes and system components
• Comprehensive support for users in practice