Optimizing the productivity of the laser metal deposition process for the production of large-scale components for the energy sector

Among additive manufacturing technologies, laser metal deposition (LMD)processiswidelyusedforrapidprototyping, repair and, in some cases, production of component. LMD allows the production of large components with complex geometries while reducing the amount of material lost compared to traditional manufacturing technologies. However, this feature may not be sufficient to make LMD technology advantageous over traditional technologies in terms of productivity and sustainability. One of the most developed research topics related to LMD is precisely the increase in productivity, which currently stands around 0.5 kg/h for Inconel 718. To obtain an increase in productivity, it is necessary to use a higher powered laser on a larger work area, which may require the implementation of modified and unconventional systems. This may also increase the thermal load on the manufactured component, which can lead to microstructural defects. In this work, it is shown that with a process optimization procedure, productivity of 1.5 kg/h can be achieved with a standard LMD system, obtaining a fine and defect-free microstructure.