Laser-based Process Towards Advanced Manufacturing of Metal Alloys

Abstract

Investigations on application of laser for manufacturing and remanufacturing have been extensively progressed since its advent in 1960. The rapid development of laser technologies in the past half-century has made many laser-based direct-energy processes possible and, nowadays, most of such laser-processing techniques are about entering industrial applications. An application of laser-cladding (LC) for remanufacturing turbine blades can save the cost by over 75%. Laser treatment, on the other hand, making use of direct laser-matter interactions, has been recognized as a green surface-cleaning technique for metal alloys, which may also introduce surface integrity enhancement for additively manufactured alloys. Here, we present and discuss recent progress in laser-based process through a few typical cases that have been recently developed in our group towards advanced remanufacturing of metallic alloys, typically including LC, laser treatment, and laser-shock peening.