Dynamics and mechanisms of laser-based metal additive manufacturing processes

Laser-based metal additive manufacturing (laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition) can manufacture geometrically and compositionally complex metal components directly from digital models without the design constraints of traditional manufacturing routs, which has potential to revolution many industries. However, laser-based metal additive manufacturing technologies still face critical challenges of (1) hard to predict and still relying on “trial and error”, (2) containing many uncertainties, (3) low fatigue life, and (4) lack of qualification and certification. This talk will present our research on overcoming these challenges to achieve predictable, consistent and reliable additive manufacturing through revealing the transient dynamics and fundamental mechanisms of laser-based metal additive manufacturing processes by in-situ high-speed synchrotron x-ray imaging and diffraction, as well as designing novel alloys and processing strategies based on the newly discovered mechanisms.