Hydrodynamic instability in high-speed direct laser deposition for additive manufacturing

High speed direct laser deposition, when product forms from metal powder, transferred by gas-powder jet, supplied coaxially or non-coaxially to focused laser beam, in one of most prospective additive technologies for production parts for aircraft engines. The limit of process productivity is connected with development of hydrodynamic instability of the melt pool in conditions of high power laser action and material supply by gas-powder jet. Theoretical analysis and experiments allowed clarified a physical nature of instability appearance, determine a stability conditions and invent a methods which allow avoid instability in deposition process. Nozzles for direct laser deposition, designed with consideration of stability conditions, allow get a level of process productivity more then 2 kg/h. The developed technology of deposition and technological equipment, based on high power fiber laser, has been used for manufacturing of parts for "high temperature" unit of aircraft engine. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.