Experimental Study of Forming Rene95 Alloy Parts by Laser Cladding

 In this paper, experimental study of forming metal parts by laser cladding Rene95 alloy powder was reported. The influence of main process parameters, such as laser power, scanning speed and laser beam diameter, on the thickness, width and the angle of the laser cladding track was investigated. The microstructures of laser cladding parts were studied and compared with those of common casting parts. The obtained Rene95 metal parts formed by laser cladding are dense and of high strength.
Directed light fabrication
Directed Light Fabrication (DLF) is a rapid prototyping process being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to fabricate metal components. This is done by fusing gas delivered metal powder particles in the focal zone of a laser beam that is programmed to move along or across the part cross section. Fully dense metal is built up a layer at a time to form the desired part represented by a 3 dimensional solid model from CAD software. Machine “tool paths” are created from the solid model that command the movement and processing parameters specific to the DLF process so that the part can be built one layer at a time. The result is a fully dense, near net shape metal part that solidifies under rapid solidification conditions.Directed Light Fabrication (DLF) is a rapid prototyping process being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to fabricate metal components. This is done by fusing gas delivered metal powder particles in the focal zone of a laser beam that is programmed to move along or across the part cross section. Fully dense metal is built up a layer at a time to form the desired part represented by a 3 dimensional solid model from CAD software. Machine “tool paths” are created from the solid model that command the movement and processing parameters specific to the DLF process so that the part can be built one layer at a time. The result is a fully dense, near net shape metal part that solidifies under rapid solidification conditions.
Shrinkage and Deformation in Components Manufactured by Fused Deposition of Ceramics
Fused Deposition of Ceramics (FDC) presents a new processing technique that may contribute to anisotropic shrinkage and deformation, which are critical issues in the manufacture of ceramic components. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify key FDC parameters and their influence on shrinkage and deformation. The study was divided into two focus areas. The first was the effect of the FDC build parameters on the shrinkage of ceramic parts. The second focused on the interaction of the FDC build process with the geometrical features of a part. A series of experimental design techniques have been implemented in order to gain a thorough understanding of said parameters, as well as any possible interactions between parameters Studies have been conducted across each processing step, from the green manufacture of the part, through binder removal, and sintering. The data and knowledge gained from these experiments will allow us to redesign the original CAD component files to compensate for the shrinkage and deformation encountered when using the FDC technique.