Toolpath planning for laser metal deposition: adaptive strategy for repairing complex surface damages

Abstract Laser Metal Deposition is a promising solution for restoring high-value metallic components, but repair operations still lack deposition strategies that can reliably handle irregular, curved, or steep damage profiles. Existing toolpaths are largely adapted from part-fabrication contexts, offering limited control over wall support, curvature alignment, or geometric variability. This work proposes a repair-oriented framework combining damage extraction, boundary reconstruction, and a Support-Oriented Wall Offset (SOWO) strategy. SOWO generates curvature-aware offset paths that initiate deposition at the damaged wall, promoting early support and stable propagation. Six strategies, Raster, Zig–Zag, Contour, Spiral, Hybrid, and SOWO, were evaluated through geometry-driven simulations, parameter sensitivity tests, and thermo-mechanical analyses. Results show that SOWO provides the most balanced performance across coverage, wall engagement, boundary fidelity, and supported deposition, while maintaining continuous motion and adapting to diverse geometries. All validation is simulation-based under identical conditions, enabling fair comparison. The study contributes a generalizable assessment framework and a geometry-aware trajectory that enhances stability in non-planar repair scenarios.