Deposit shape control for local repair and welding by cold spray

Cold spray (CS) has proven to be a versatile deposition method with considerable capabilities in multiple fields including coating, additive manufacturing, and repair. Despite the significant progress in new applications of cold spray, there are still several challenges associated with controlling the shape of cold spray deposits that consequently affect their range of application and functionality. In this study, we discuss and demonstrate a new application of CS to connect adjoining edges along with repair local damages, focusing on deposit shape prediction. To do so, we start by proposing a numerical model that can predict the CS deposit geometry, by providing specific input parameters for a given set of particle and substrate properties, substrate geometry and nozzle position. Then we employ this numerical method to design the toolpath required for filling the artificial local damages and/or the welding grooves with controlled geometries. Through comparing the predictions with the shape of experimentally obtained depositions, we propose some corrections for the model. In both local repair and welding cases, the experimental results show a great resemblance to the predicted deposit profile and after applying the corrective measures, to the deposit height.