Observations on Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM) in Terms of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) with Metal Powder Feedstock
G.A. Barragan, D. Rojas, J.S. Grass and R.T. Coelho
Directed energy deposition (DED) is one of the seven additive manufacturing (AM) process categories. Its operation principle requires a focused thermal energy source that fuses material during a layer-by- layer deposition for the fabrication of functional parts from computer-aided design (CAD). Through intensive research over the past decades, significant process progress has been achieved. Its application areas cover the production and repair of automotive, aerospace, energy, and medical applications. Presented herein are observations on a wide-ranging review of the main constitutive elements of laser additive manufacturing (LAM) and laser directed energy deposition (LDED) system and its relationship with the final part properties with a concentration on the deposition of powder metal. A systematic review has been performed for paper development based on scientific databases, covering a vast range of processes, technologies, terminology, and applications associated with the category.
Keywords: Laser additive manufacturing (LAM), directed energy deposition (DED), laser directed energy deposition (LDED), metal powder, focused energy