Numerical Estimation of the Geometry of the Deposited Layers during Direct Laser Deposition of Multi-Pass Walls

Abstract

Direct laser deposition (DLD) is a promising additive technology that allows for the rapid and cheap production of metal parts of complex geometry in various sectors of mechanical engineering. Thick-walled metal structures occupy a significant part in mechanical engineering. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an algorithm for predicting the geometry of deposited multi-pass walls. To achieve this goal, the main interrelated processes involved in the formation of a multi-pass wall were described—the process of laser radiation propagation, the process of heat transfer and the process of bead formation. To construct the calculation algorithm, five characteristic types of beads are identified. For these five types, the features of the bead formation and the features of the laser radiation intensity distribution are described. The calculated data were verified. A good match of the calculated data with the geometry of the deposited walls from AISI321 steel, Inconel718 and Ti-6Al-4V alloys was obtained.